Former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum played 101 Tests for the Kiwis during a highly decorated international career; As a manager, the 40-year-old has worked exclusively within the short-form cricket franchise.
Brendon McCullum has been appointed head coach of the England men’s event
Brendon McCullum has been appointed as the new head coach of the England men’s trial team.
The 40-year-old’s appointment, on a four-year deal, follows a series of interviews by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for the roles of head coach for the red and white ball, which will be They have split under the new CEO. of England men’s cricket Rob Key. The new white ball head coach is expected to be named next week.
Former New Zealand captain McCullum, who played 101 Test matches for the Kiwis, will take charge of England’s three-match Test series against the Kiwis, which starts on June 2 at Lord’s, subject to obtaining a visa. of work needed.
McCullum will link up with newly appointed England Test captain Ben Stokes after completing the Indian Premier League season in his role as head coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders, who play their final group stage match on May 18.
“We are delighted to confirm Brendon as head coach of the England men’s event,” said Key. “It has been a real privilege to get to know him and understand his views and his vision of the game. I think his appointment will be good for the England Test team.”
“He has a recent history of changing cricket culture and environments for the better, and I think he is the person who can do that for England’s red ball cricket.
“We were incredibly fortunate to have a strong slate of quality candidates for the position, with Brendon proving he was our number one choice.”
The ECB said McCullum’s appointment was decided unanimously by a selection panel that included Key, Chief Executive Tom Harrison, strategic adviser Andrew Strauss and chief performance officer Mo Bobat.
McCullum’s emergence as a candidate for the red ball position was somewhat of a surprise, as many considered him more suited to the cue ball position, given that he has trained exclusively in shorter forms of the game since retiring from the game in 2019. .
McCullum retired from international cricket in 2016 having played 260 ODIs in 14 years, scoring 6,083 runs, while also playing in 71 T20Is. He was the first batsman to score two hundred in T20I cricket.
However, his praise was not limited to short-form cricket. In 2014, he became the first New Zealander to score three hundred in a Test, while in his last game before retiring in 2016, he recorded the fastest Test century in history, with 54 balls, beating New Zealand’s record 56 balls. Sir Vivi Richards. .
Chris Silverwood was sacked as England head coach after the Ashes’ 4-0 loss over the winter, with Paul Collingwood placed in caretaker charge for the 1-0 Test series defeat in the West Indies in March.
England had lost 10 and won just one of their previous 14 Test matches with Silverwood, failing to break the 300 mark even once during a dismal Ashes campaign.
Root stepped down as captain weeks after the West Indies series, ending his tenure with 27 wins, 26 losses and 11 draws from 64 matches after taking over from Sir Alastair Cook in February 2017.
Stokes subsequently took over as skipper, with all-rounder and head coach McCullum now looking to boost a team currently sitting fifth in the ICC Test standings and bottom in the 2021-23 World Test Championship.
“I would like to say how pleased I am to have this opportunity to contribute positively to shaping England’s Test cricket and move the team forward into a more successful era,” McCullum said.
“In taking on this role, I am acutely aware of the significant challenges facing the team today, and I strongly believe in my ability to help the team emerge as a stronger force once we have met them head-on.
“I’ve enjoyed several strong conversations with Rob Key about the direction of the team’s journey and found his enthusiasm contagious. I’m no stranger to driving change within a team environment, and I can’t wait to get started.
“Ben Stokes is the perfect character to inspire change around him, and I look forward to working closely with him to build a successful unit around us.”
Watch Brendon McCullum’s first series in charge of England live on Sky Sports, as his team take on New Zealand in three tests, starting at Lord’s on June 2.
