Former England Test coach Brendon McCullum’s stint as head coach ended on Sunday, 12 July, after the ECB announced his decision to step down from the post. However, McCullum spent four years as the head coach of the Test team, finishing with a record of 27 wins, 20 defeats, and two draws as well. However, a series of poor results in Tests, including a 2-1 series loss to New Zealand following a 4-1 Ashes defeat, brought his stint as Test coach to a close as well.
“I look back on the time fondly and thank everyone that was involved in it,” he said on the eve of the ODI series against India. “There have been moments where things could have turned various ways and we might be sitting here with a different discussion. You can’t live in those moments, either. You’re grateful for the opportunity, grateful for the relationships and efforts everyone has put in.”
“From my point of view, I’ve absolutely loved the last four years, I’ve felt incredibly privileged to be England’s men’s Test head coach. I feel over the course of 20-odd years in this sport, the last four years have been possibly the biggest highlight I’ve had,” he again shared.
“The T20 side is obviously in a pretty good space at the moment” – Brendon McCullum
However, Brendon McCullum also shared that his inability to win the all-important Test series against Australia and India was a significant factor in his decision to step away from the head coach’s role. During his tenure, England managed 2-2 home series draws against Australia (2023) and India (2025), while facing heavy 4-1 defeats away from home against both teams as well.
“I don’t think we got what we wanted really,” he further added. “Fundamentally, you want to be winning the big series. India and Australia are the marquee series and if you don’t win those you haven’t quite been able to achieve what you wanted to. I thought we had opportunities against both of those quality oppositions and we achieved some good stuff over the four years but, fundamentally, the results didn’t live up to it at the back end, hence the decision was made.”
“I think I’m super excited about the white ball side. The T20 side is obviously in a pretty good space at the moment, the one-day side we’ve got some work to do but I’m confident we’ll be able to continue making improvements. With a World Cup not too far away we’ve got an opportunity to be a realistic chance of lifting the trophy, not just for the guys in the dressing room but all the fans who support this team. That’s where my focus is at the moment,” he concluded.
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