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England appoint bowling coach Eric Simons – who Ben Stokes named ‘the best I’ve EVER worked with’ – as Stephen Fleming looks to make his mark on Test side

Eric Simons, 64, coached his native South Africa for two years until 2004, and later spent two years as a bowling consultant to the Indian national side.

By LAWRENCE BOOTH · Daily Mail

Published: Monday, 12 October 2026 at 8:30 AM

Key Things to Know

England are set to name Eric Simons as their new men's Test bowling coach.
The appointment is Stephen Fleming's first since replacing Brendon McCullum as head coach.
England Test captain Ben Stokes previously called Simons the best bowling coach he had ever worked with.

The Story in 60 Seconds

England are set to appoint Eric Simons as the new bowling coach for the men's Test team. This marks the first major coaching addition made by incoming head coach Stephen Fleming since taking over from Brendon McCullum. Test captain Ben Stokes previously praised the 64-year-old South African as the best bowling coach he had ever worked with during their time together in the IPL in 2017.

Simons takes over Test bowling duties from Tim Southee, while Troy Cooley will remain the ECB's elite national lead for pace bowling. Having previously worked with Fleming at Chennai Super Kings and coached South Africa and India, Simons will officially begin his role when England's three-Test tour of South Africa starts on December 17 at Centurion.

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