Brendon McCullum has been sacked as the England men’s Test head coach, with the England and Wales Cricket Board opting for a completely fresh start for the side following the recent retirement of the red-ball captain, Ben Stokes.
The decision came one day after McCullum guided England to the top of the T20 rankings, and he will continue to coach the men’s white‑ball teams.
McCullum said he was “gutted” after being told his services are no longer required, and he will not be involved in preparations for the three-match series against Pakistan in August and September, by which time the ECB hopes to have appointed a replacement.
The decision was made after a series of conversations between McCullum and ECB executives over the past week came to a head on Friday night and Saturday morning. Though he gave no indication that he knew it was coming when he spoke at length to the media after England completed a superb 4-0 T20 series win against India on Saturday evening, he was by then aware the axe was about to fall.
A review after the winter Ashes defeat concluded that McCullum was still the best man for the job, but the 2-1 series defeat against New Zealand that ended at Trent Bridge last month with Stokes’s surprise retirement forced a change of plans.
“Unfortunately, the results have not gone the way that we wanted them to go,” the ECB’s chief executive, Richard Gould, said. “It’s always been a results-based business. Brendon has been cognisant of that, understanding of that and accepting of that. Also, at this particular time we’ve got 10 Test matches until the Ashes starts in 2027. Whilst we have significant amount of time to get better again with a new coach coming in, we want to use as much time as we can have available.”
A shortlist of potential replacements has already been drawn up and Rob Key, managing director of the England men’s side, will lead the recruitment process. The ECB has made clear its willingness to talk to any outstanding candidate irrespective of nationality or current employment. The board is, for example, open to the possibility of appointing someone who has commitments in the Indian Premier League, opening a path for the potential return of Andy Flower – the highly regarded coach of Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL and London Spirit in the Hundred – who won two Ashes series and took England to the top of the Test rankings when he coached the team between 2009 and 2014.
Gould said “we wouldn’t take any option off the table”, refusing also to rule out Andrew Flintoff, who has been fast-tracked into the international setup since moving into coaching. Flintoff is represented by M&C Saatchi Merlin, the talent agency chaired by the ECB chairman, Richard Thompson.
Key’s own position is not presently under threat and Gould reiterated that he expects him to remain at the ECB for the foreseeable future. “He’s got a really good brain, he’s a good communicator, he’s got extraordinary knowledge of what goes on within our game in England, and has spent the last four years in one of the most difficult jobs in English sport and the experience he’s amassed is really valuable for us,” Gould said.
The initial impact made by McCullum’s partnership with Stokes was extraordinary, and a team that had won one of their previous 17 Tests proceeded to win 10 of their first 11 under his stewardship, using an attacking brand of cricket that was swiftly christened Bazball. But there have been diminishing returns, and England won only three of his last 11 Tests in charge, including a bruising defeat in the Ashes, amid a souring of his relationship with Stokes. He finishes with the overall record of 27 wins, 20 defeats and two draws in 49 games.
“I’ve absolutely loved coaching the Test side and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together,” McCullum said. “There’ve been some unbelievable highs and a few tough days along the way, but that’s all part of taking on a challenge like this. It’s been a privilege and an honour, and I’m grateful. Grateful to the players, the staff and the fans who supported us on the journey.
“Of course I’m gutted not to be continuing, but I respect the decision. My focus now is on giving everything I’ve got to the white-ball teams and helping England keep moving forward.
“I wish the Test team nothing but success. There’s a hell of a lot of talent in that dressing room and they’re a special bunch of lads. I’ll always be backing the boys, with a smile on my face, and hoping they keep taking the game on. I know they’ll continue to make people proud.”
After Stokes backed England’s white-ball captain, Harry Brook, as his successor and Brook made it clear he would welcome the opportunity, and given that Brook and McCullum enjoy a very close relationship – “I consider him not just a good mate, but like he’s almost one of my other sons,” McCullum said on Saturday – there was a widespread assumption the pair would be given a chance to replicate their recent T20 successes in the longest format. But the ECB has opted for a clean break with Gould saying he “now believes that the time is right to make a change as we target victory in the Ashes next summer”.
Key said: “Some of England’s most memorable moments in recent history have occurred under Brendon’s leadership of the Test team. It’s been an absolute privilege to watch him shape the mentality of the team, to one the players have loved, and see him develop a new generation of talent who will be at the heart of England men’s teams for years to come. He leaves the Test team well set and poised to achieve great things”.
