Brendon McCullum has said he is ready to “embrace” the upcoming challenge after the New Zealander’s role as England Test head coach was expanded to include the two white-ball cricket formats.
McCullum, a former IPL coach with Royal Challengers Bangalore, is credited with revolutionising Test cricket, introducing “Bazball”.
But from January 2025 his remit will expand to the two other formats of the international game – One-Day cricket and T20 cricket – after former white-ball coach Matthew Mott left his role following England’s failure to defend either the ODI or T20 World Cups.
Having joined England in 2022, the Kiwi has also extended his contract with the team to 2027.
McCullum extension
“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Test team, and I’m excited to extend my role to include the white-ball sides,” McCullum said.
“This new challenge is something I’m ready to embrace, and I’m eager to work closely with Jos [Buttler, captain] and the team to build on the strong foundations that are already in place.
“Rob Key’s vision for the future of English cricket is something that really resonated with me. The idea of a unified coaching structure, especially with the schedule easing next year, made perfect sense.”
Added McCullum: “I’m energised by the prospect of guiding both teams and am grateful for the support from the ECB and my family as I take on these added responsibilities.
“The talent within English cricket is immense, and I’m looking forward to helping these players reach their full potential.
“My goal is to create an environment where everyone can thrive and where we can continue to compete at the highest level across all formats.”
Shuffle
McCullum’s Test team are unbeaten this summer, toppling the West Indies three times and beating Sri Lanka twice, and play their final home Test on Friday at the Oval against the subcontinental outfit.
Marcus Trescothick will continue to take charge of the white-ball teams on an interim basis while Andrew Flintoff will fill in as batting coach at the Oval in Trescothick’s absence.
Rob Key, managing director of England men’s cricket, said: “I’m delighted that Brendon has chosen to do both roles now with England. I believe we are incredibly fortunate that a coach of his quality is prepared to commit wholeheartedly to English cricket.
“Being able to align all teams now is particularly exciting and we look forward to taking on all challenges that come our way.
“The timing of the schedule (from January) will allow him to dedicate the necessary focus to both roles, and we’re confident this restructure will bring out the best in our players and coaching staff.”
England’s next white-ball series will see them take on Australia across T20 and ODI matches with McCullum set to be in his new role in time for the Champions Trophy, which begins in Pakistan next March.