Rob Key’s position as England’s managing director of men’s cricket is looking increasingly secure after the initial stages of the England and Wales Cricket Board’s review of the Ashes defeat, but the future of Brendon McCullum as coach remains uncertain and will be heavily influenced by his side’s performances at next month’s T20 World Cup.
Key is understood to have spoken to the ECB chief executive, Richard Gould, and chair, Richard Thompson, and taken responsibility for England’s poor preparation for the Ashes and some bungled selections while on tour. He is believed to have indicated a willingness to do things differently if allowed to stay on, a crucial concession that could end up saving him.
It was reported after England’s defeat in the third Test in Adelaide last month, which gave Australia a 3-0 lead and retention of the urn after just 11 days of cricket, that the ECB wanted to avoid a mass cull. That remains the case despite the tourists slumping to a 4-1 defeat, with their only victory coming in the freakish two-day fourth Test in Melbourne on a sporting pitch.
The review is continuing but the ECB is concerned that a repeat of the wholesale clearout that followed England’s Ashes defeat four years ago, when Chris Silverwood as coach, Ashley Giles as director of cricket and Joe Root as captain all departed, would be counterproductive and leave them ill-equipped to learn the lessons of defeat in Australia, triggering another cycle of failure.
Ben Stokes’ position as captain is not thought to be part of the review, for example, as the 34-year-old has already said he wants to stay on and lead England in the home Ashes series in 18 months, when he will remain crucial to the balance of the side. Some changes have been made already, with Carl Hopkinson brought in as fielding coach for the World Cup and the preceding six white-ball warm-up games in Sri Lanka, where the players have also had a midnight curfew imposed after it emerged Harry Brook, the captain, had an altercation with a nightclub bouncer the night before a one-day international in New Zealand.
While Key appears to have accepted the need to tighten up England’s laissez-faire approach under McCullum, it is unclear whether the New Zealander will do so. Speaking after England lost the fifth Test in Sydney earlier this month, McCullum said: “Without being ultimately able to steer the ship, maybe there is someone better. I have firm beliefs in what works. Am I for being told what to do? Of course I’m not.”
While McCullum has failed to win a series against Australia or India in four attempts, he retains some supporters at the ECB for his achievements in Test cricket, lifting the spirits of a side that had become demoralised by an attritional playing style under Silverwood, as well as delivering some thrilling victories.
McCullum’s record as white-ball coach since being given both jobs by Key 12 months ago has been poor, however. England crashed out of the 50-over Champions Trophy last year without winning a game, and another disappointing global tournament in India could bring an end to his four-year reign.
