All posts tagged: Brendon

Brendon McCullum’s England future hinges on T20 World Cup; Ben Stokes, Rob Key set to survive ECB review | Cricket News

Brendon McCullum’s England future hinges on T20 World Cup; Ben Stokes, Rob Key set to survive ECB review | Cricket News

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Rob Key is expected to remain as managing director of England men’s cricket despite the heavy Ashes defeat, but Brendon McCullum’s tenure as head coach may be nearing its end after the upcoming T20 World Cup, The Telegraph reported on Wednesday. Following England’s 4-1 loss in Australia, the England Cricket Board (ECB) chief executive Richard Gould and chairman Richard Thompson have been leading an internal review. While questions have been raised over preparation, discipline and off-field conduct, there is little appetite within the board to dismantle the current leadership structure, English media reported. Key, who has held his role since April 2022, has contributed to the review process and is understood to have retained the confidence of senior ECB figures. His responsibilities extend beyond the men’s Test side, and the board views his position as a long-term appointment. Although he publicly accepted blame before Christmas for shortcomings in Ashes planning and selection, he has not spoken since and is expected to attend England’s white-ball tours in Asia. Ben Stokes’s position as Test captain also appears …

Alastair Cook expresses interest in being Brendon McCullum’s assistant coach at England: ‘You need a variety of different people’ | Cricket News

Alastair Cook expresses interest in being Brendon McCullum’s assistant coach at England: ‘You need a variety of different people’ | Cricket News

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Alastair Cook has said that he would consider joining the England Test team’s coaching staff if he is given the offer, just days after former England captain Michael Atherton floated the idea of him becoming Brendon McCullum’s assistant coach. The suggestion, and Cook’s subsequent admission, has come in the flurry of opinions that have cropped up since the end of the 2025/26 Ashes, which England lost 4-1. Cook wrote in his colum for The Times that he had never thought of going into coaching but is now thinking about it after Atherton’s piece for the paper. “I can’t say that I’m not excited about the possibility of potentially getting involved, but I certainly haven’t had any contact from England,” wrote Cook in his column. “Ultimately if McCullum stays it has got to be up to him who he wants in his backroom team and he has to pick who he thinks are the best coaches around. I do think, though, that in any team you need a variety of different people and there has been …

England’s Ashes debacle prompts ‘WILD thought’ from Kevin Pietersen for Brendon McCullum’s replacement: ‘He gets Test cricket’ | Cricket News

England’s Ashes debacle prompts ‘WILD thought’ from Kevin Pietersen for Brendon McCullum’s replacement: ‘He gets Test cricket’ | Cricket News

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Kevin Pietersen knows a thing or two about how a bad Ashes can end careers. Although his final dismissal from the England squad was seen as a culmination of multiple events in the years leading up to it, the fact remains that the management pulled the plug on him after they received a 5-0 drubbing in the 2013/14 Ashes. Another casualty of that tour was then-head coach Andy Flower, with whom Pietersen had a tumultuous working relationship. However, the 45-year-old has now said that maybe it is time that Flower returned to the role after England’s 4-1 defeat to Australia in the 2025/26 Ashes. “This is a WILD thought. I reckon one of my wildest,” Pietersen posted. “Can England bring back Andy Flower now that he’s changed and in line with the modern day player? He gets Test Cricket. I’ve been told by many players that he’s changed his ways since our drama. He’s winning leagues so really does get the modern day player. VERY IMPORTANT! Wild, I know! Thoughts?” Pietersen’s post comes amid uncertainty …

Brendon McCullum’s England future hinges on T20 World Cup; Ben Stokes, Rob Key set to survive ECB review | Cricket News

Ashes | ‘I sort of take offence to that, to be honest…’ England coach Brendon McCullum’s reply when asked to change by Nasser Hussain | Cricket News

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With England losing the Sydney test by five wickets against hosts Australia and losing the Ashes 1-4, it meant that England suffered their 14th Test loss in the last two years. While the Brandon McCullum led England side had 14 wins out of the first 19 Tests after McCullum took over the role in 2022, the Ben Stokes led side has only won 11 Tests in the last two years. With England playing by the ‘Bazball’ approach under McCullum, which sees the team playing attacking cricket, it has also seen England losing control in situations where they would have taken control with patience. Former England captain Nasser Hussain questioned McCullum about the tactics post the Ashes loss with the question to the coach, “Can you personally change, or is it the Brendon McCullum philosophy? Can you change your ways, or is this how you’re going to play?”, McCullum replied that he takes that as an offence and replied that he has conviction in his methods. “I sort of take offence to that, to be honest, …

Brendon McCullum on England players drinking: I don’t think they did things to excess | Cricket News

Brendon McCullum on England players drinking: I don’t think they did things to excess | Cricket News

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With England players drinking problem once again coming to the fore in Australia after yet another Ashes defeat, their head coach Brendon McCullum has defended his players saying they did not ‘do things to excess’ during the tour. After an outing in the mid-series break in Noosa where Ben Duckett was struggling to find his way back home, on Friday news emerged that vice-captain Harry Brook was involved in an altercation with a bouncer during the tour of New Zealand that preceded the Ashes series. All this incidents, particularly on the aftermath of their humbling performances, has called for a detailed review with the England Cricket Board saying it has already started one. But McCullum, whose position itself has come under scrutiny, defended the team’s behaviour. “Half our guys don’t have a drink to be honest. They’ll have a couple of beers every now and again. I think people do that in most walks of life. These guys are young men playing a highly pressurised sport, they’ve got a talent which is cricket and there’s …

Ben Stokes backs Brendon McCullum to continue as England coach despite losing the Ashes

Ben Stokes backs Brendon McCullum to continue as England coach despite losing the Ashes

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England captain Ben Stokes has backed coach Brendon McCullum to continue in his role with the side, despite the visitors having lost the Ashes, with one Test to go in Sydney. The 34-year-old said that he and McCullum were the right men to take England cricket forward, admitting that he could not see anyone other than the former New Zealand captain taking this team to greater heights, along with him. “There is no doubt in my mind me and Brendon are the right people to carry on doing this for the near future. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the time I’ve worked with Brendon. I can’t see there being someone else who I could take this team [with] from where we are now to even bigger heights.” “So for us as captain and coach, when we do have the time off, we need to put our heads together and go ‘What is it that we think we need to do to go to the next level?’” Stokes said two days before the Sydney Test. The all-rounder admitted …

Ravi Shastri should replace Brendon McCullum as England head coach: Monty Panesar

Ravi Shastri should replace Brendon McCullum as England head coach: Monty Panesar

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Following England’s humiliating Ashes series loss to Australia in just 11 days, former England cricketer Monty Panesar has called for a change in leadership, suggesting former Indian cricketer Ravi Shastri as a potential replacement for current head coach Brendon McCullum. McCullum’s credibility as a capable head coach and strong leader has somewhat faded amid a string of poor results, both at home and away. The 3–0 scoreline in the ongoing Ashes series Down Under has raised further questions about the New Zealander’s leadership and his much-talked-about “Bazball” approach. In response, former England spinner Panesar believes former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri would be an ideal fit to lead England. Speaking to journalist Ravi Bisht, Panesar said, “You have to think: who exactly knows how to beat Australia? How do you take advantage of Australia’s weaknesses, mentally, physically, and tactically? I think Ravi Shastri should become England’s next head coach.” Since the start of 2024, England have lost more Tests (13) than they have won (12) under McCullum. Under Shastri, India had beaten Australia in Australia …

Brendon McCullum’s England future hinges on T20 World Cup; Ben Stokes, Rob Key set to survive ECB review | Cricket News

‘It’s not really up to me’: Brendon McCullum on if he’ll still be in charge of England for next Ashes series in 2027 | Cricket News

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With England already 0-3 down in the Ashes series and having no way in reclaiming the urn, head coach Brendon McCullum said that he still wanted to continue at his job but admitted that it’s not really in his hands. England, who had come to the Ashes with much hype, saw their challenge fizzle out after just 3 matches with Australia retaining the urn with 2 matches remaining. McCullum is contracted through to the end of the World Cup in 2027 so would get another opportunity to reclaim the Ashes in a home series that ​year if he stays in his ‌post. “It’s a pretty good gig. It’s good fun. You travel the world with the lads and try to play some exciting cricket and try to achieve some things. You want to try to get the best out of people. I don’t do anything to protect the job. It’s a matter of ‌trying to just get the very best out of the people,” McCullum was quoted as saying by ​the BBC. “I don’t ‌know. …

Brendon McCullum’s England future hinges on T20 World Cup; Ben Stokes, Rob Key set to survive ECB review | Cricket News

‘I was confident we had it right but obviously we didn’t’: Brendon McCullum admits mistakes after Ashes debacle | Cricket News

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The creed of Bazball was based on supreme self-confidence and an absence of doubt, but after losing the Ashes at the earliest possible stage, England coach Brendon McCullum finally admitted that there may have been some errors in preparation for the series, which he had said would “define” players. Australia were never able to field their first-choice XI in any of the three Tests, but that didn’t prevent them from being too good for the tourists, whose primary aim now would be to avoid a 0-5 debacle. “We haven’t got everything right. I haven’t got everything right as a coach and I put my hand up for that,” McCullum told BBC Test Match Special after the 82-run defeat in Adelaide on Sunday. “It is disappointing when you lose and I’m sure there will be plenty of questions asked and rightfully so.” Not playing practice games on the tour, enjoying a break on the Sunshine Coast after losing the first two Tests, and an emphasis on having a good time while playing cricket created an impression …

‘It doesn’t mean that we throw that plan out’: Brendon McCullum says England are unlikely to move away from aggressive approach in 3rd Ashes Test vs Australia | Cricket News

‘It doesn’t mean that we throw that plan out’: Brendon McCullum says England are unlikely to move away from aggressive approach in 3rd Ashes Test vs Australia | Cricket News

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After losing the second Test match last week and going 2-0 down in the ongoing Ashes series, England coach Brendon McCullum said that there will be no change to the visitors’ Bazball approach, adding that he hoped for a better execution from his players. “We came here with high hopes and high expectations. We had a plan that we felt was going to give ourselves the best chance of being successful. We haven’t quite executed that so far, and Australia has seized those key moments and hence they sit 2-0 up. It doesn’t mean that we throw that plan out. We just need to chisel away at some of the things we haven’t got quite right and make sure that we still have that conviction of what we’re trying to achieve. I think these conditions should suit our style a little bit better as well … this is probably more attuned to our best style of cricket,” McCullum told reporters at Adelaide Oval on Sunday. The 3rd Test of the series will start in the …