England will choose their next Test coach from as many as nine candidates, with Andy Flower heading a shortlist that includes only two former England cricketers.Flower, who filled the role between 2009 and 2014, remains the preferred choice following the sacking of Brendon McCullum on Sunday.But with the recruitment process in its early days, and Flower’s involvement with both Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL and London Spirit in the Hundred potential stumbling blocks, the ECB are casting their net wide in an attempt to secure a high-class candidate and arrest the slide in England’s Test fortunes after seven defeats in their last nine games.To complicate matters, Flower has told friends he’s unsure whether, at the age of 58, he needs to put himself through the strain of returning to such a high-profile job.One of the two English candidates is understood to be their former Test No 3 Jonathan Trott, who made a good impression during nearly four years in charge of Afghanistan, reaching the semi-finals of the 2024 T20 World Cup in the Caribbean. Trott has made no secret of his desire to coach the country for whom he played 52 Tests and 68 one-day internationals after moving over from his native South Africa.The other is Richard Dawson, the former Gloucestershire off-spinner who won seven Test caps and has previously worked with the England set-up. Last summer, he guided Glamorgan back to Division One in the County Championship for the first time since 2005.But ECB chief executive Richard Gould has said that he and the board were unconcerned about the nationality of McCullum’s successor, and Daily Mail Sport understands that – Flower included – there are seven overseas figures in the mix. Andy Flower (pictured with Alastair Cook and Matt Prior after the 2013 Ashes) remains the preferred choice following the sacking of Brendon McCullum on Sunday Hard-nosed former Australia batsman and coach Justin Langer (pictured with Joe Root in 2022) is also a contenderChief among them is the former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming, who was approached four years ago before McCullum got the job but said he wasn’t interested because of his long-term involvement with IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings.On Monday, however, Fleming ended his 18-year stint with CSK, sparking interest at the ECB. A shrewd tactician and understated competitor, he would provide a studied contrast to the more straightforward approach of McCullum, his former Test team-mate.Even more high-profile is the former Australia opener and coach Justin Langer. Back in 2022, managing director Rob Key was led to believe Langer wasn’t interested in the job so soon after coaching Australia to victory in the Ashes, though there were also concerns that his unforgiving approach was the last thing England needed after the debilitating effects of so much Covid cricket.Now, Langer’s hard edge – like Flower’s – may be viewed as a welcome antidote to the perceived frivolity of the Bazball years.Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara, who has combined being head coach and director of cricket at Rajasthan Royals in the IPL with commentary work for Sky Sports, is also on the shortlist. He has settled in England, and this summer has been playing village cricket for Shillingstone in Dorset.Two other names have been around for years on the international and franchise circuits. Tom Moody, who has previously coached Sri Lanka, was recently appointed global director of cricket for the IPL’s Lucknow Super Giants, having last summer guided Oval Invincibles (now MI London) to a hat-trick of titles in the Hundred.And Mike Hesson, who has previously coached his native New Zealand, is currently in charge of Pakistan’s white-ball teams. His appearance on the list is said to have irritated the Pakistan Cricket Board. Legendary Sri Lanka batsman Kumar Sangakkara, who is settled in England, is also on the list Managing director Rob Key (right) will be an influential voice in deciding Brendon McCullum’s replacementPerhaps the biggest surprise is Adi Birrell, who has coached Ireland, filled the No 2 role with his native South Africa and last summer concluded a seven-year spell with Hampshire, where he was highly popular with the players.Two men whose names have been mentioned but are not on the shortlist are Indian legend Rahul Dravid and former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, who is the coach of England Lions, but is not considered by his bosses to be ready for the Test job.The ECB have begun the process of contacting the main candidates, with the intention being to have McCullum’s replacement in situ well ahead of the first Test against Pakistan at Headingley, starting on August 19.But the desire to get the right man for the job ahead of next summer’s Ashes will trump the need to fill it quickly, and an interim candidate – possibly assistant coach Marcus Trescothick – cannot be ruled out for the three-match series against Pakistan.