Brendon McCullum removed as England Men’s test head coach

LORD: The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has removed Brendon McCullum from his position as England Men’s Test head coach, bringing an end to his four-year tenure and the much-discussed “Bazball” era. However, the former New Zealand captain will remain in charge of England’s ODI and T20I teams.

McCullum took over the Test side in 2022 and, alongside former captain Ben Stokes, transformed England’s approach with an aggressive brand of cricket that produced memorable victories, including series wins over New Zealand, South Africa, and Pakistan. His tenure revitalised England’s red-ball cricket after a difficult period.

Despite the early success, England’s recent struggles including a 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia and a 2-1 home Test series loss to New Zealand prompted the ECB to make a change ahead of next year’s Ashes. England won only three of their last 12 Tests under McCullum.

McCullum finished his spell as England’s Test coach with 27 wins, 20 defeats and two draws in 49 Test matches. Reacting to the decision, he said he was “gutted” but respected the ECB’s move and remained proud of what the team achieved during his time in charge.

The ECB has begun the search for a new Test head coach, while McCullum will continue leading England’s white-ball teams after recently guiding them to the No. 1 T20I ranking.