Former Blackcaps captain Brendon McCullum has reportedly agreed to become England's new test coach, with formal confirmation possibly coming this week.
According to the BBC, McCullum, 40, is awaiting a contract offer from the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and would replace Chris Silverwood as the side's coach.
As England looks to split their red and white-ball coaching roles, reports last week indicated McCullum was approached to take charge of the Twenty20 and One Day International teams.
But the former New Zealand skipper is understood to have made it clear he wanted charge of England's test side, currently on a losing run of 16 from their last 17 matches.
On duty with Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League, McCullum interviewed for the England role earlier this week and has emerged as the frontrunner for the job, ahead of ex-South Africa batter Gary Kirsten, who coached India to victory in the 2011 Cricket World Cup.
The Indian Express also reports McCullum has told Kolkata he will step down from the role at the end of the current season, with his side seventh on the ladder and four points off the playoffs.
The appointment would be a risk for both England and McCullum, who has never coached a red-ball side before, despite achieving success in Twenty20 cricket with Kolkata in the IPL and Trinbago Knight Riders in the Caribbean Premier League.
As Blackcaps captain, McCullum was instrumental in a culture shift that saw the team reach the World Cup final for the first time in 2015 and compete with the game's elite in test cricket.
As a batter, McCullum became the first Kiwi to score a test triple century against India at Wellington's Basin Reserve in 2014. He played 101 tests, 260 one-dayer and 71 Twenty20s for his country.
If successful, McCullum would link with newly appointed England test captain Ben Stokes in an attempt to rebuild the side. He would have just weeks to prepare for his first assignment as test coach, ironically, against his former side, beginning at Lord's on June 2.
