New England Test head coach Stephen Fleming has wasted little time in shaping his backroom staff, with a report in SEN suggesting he has approached former Australia batter Michael Hussey to become England’s batting coach. While the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is yet to make a formal offer, Hussey is understood to be Fleming’s preferred choice for the role as England prepare for a new era in red-ball cricket.
Hussey, 51, is currently coaching Welsh Fire in The Hundred and is yet to decide whether he will make himself available for the position. If he accepts, the appointment would reunite two of cricket’s most respected figures, who have shared a close working relationship for nearly two decades.
The pair first crossed paths at the inaugural Indian Premier League in 2008, representing Chennai Super Kings. While Fleming’s playing stint with the franchise lasted only one season, he was appointed head coach in 2009 and went on to become the architect of one of the IPL’s most successful dynasties.
Hussey joined as one of CSK’s premier overseas batters, scoring 2,213 runs in 64 matches for the franchise from 2008 to 2015 before transitioning into coaching after his retirement.
FLEMING-HUSSEY: A SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP
Fleming and Hussey spent around 15 years working together at CSK in different capacities. Hussey initially starred with the bat, winning the Orange Cap in 2013 after scoring 733 runs, before joining the coaching staff as batting coach. Together, they helped shape a culture built around consistency, experience and calm leadership, playing key roles in multiple IPL title-winning campaigns.
That long-standing partnership came to an end earlier this year when Fleming parted ways with the franchise following the 2026 IPL season.
Fleming’s familiarity with Hussey’s coaching methods and player-management skills appears to have made the former Australia batter his first choice to oversee England’s batting unit. Reports also suggest Fleming could eventually target former CSK bowling coach Eric Simons to strengthen the pace bowling department.
Although appointed England’s permanent Test coach, Fleming will not immediately take charge. Marcus Trescothick will oversee England’s three-Test home series against Pakistan, starting on August 19, before Fleming officially begins his tenure during England’s three-Test tour of South Africa, which starts on December 17 in Johannesburg. Australian bowling coach David Saker will continue for the Pakistan series.
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