Brendon McCullum future as England coach becomes clearer as update emerges

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/cricket/brendon-mccullum-england-cricket-decision-36898891

When you're in a job where you get to fly first class on the best airlines, stay in the best rooms at the best hotels, eat the finest food and drink the best coffee, of course you're going to want to continue in the job.

Brendan McCullum has said he wants to remain as England Mens Head Coach.

Recently I wrote to the ECB with some polite points pretty much dismantling the Rob Key - Brendon McCullum era.

Professional sport is a results based business. England are 7th from 9 in the World Test Championship and unlikely to reach the top 3 in this cycle.

The "Bazball" environment, the selections and favouritism have had the occasional success (hey, even I can hit the occasional straight drive or 180) but the ranking position does not lie.

But what about the white ball sides?

England players do not play enough quality 50 over cricket to be able to offer any kind of successful run in an ICC 50 over tournament. It's been sacrificed on the altar of avarice called The Hundred.

Considering the amount of money thrown, the threats, bullying and questionable conduct of the then ECB management and the near civil war it caused, a semi final of a WT20 must be considered a minimum requirement.

How we get there is an important aspect. England doesn't look like a well oiled winning machine. We play enough ultra short format that this should never be the case.

Nearly losing to Nepal and Italy, a top order that misfires, and relying on our lower order to deliver respectability is not a good look,

"Where are we going? What is the plan?" is something that many sports fans and followers ask of the clubs they follow.

Key and McCullum need to front up.

"Perception is reality" is a phrase much beloved of leaders until it gets applied to them.

That WTC table is all the perception I need.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/mar/07/mccullum-hits-back-at-unfair-critics-and-says-england-can-achieve-something-special

#BrendonMcCullum #Cricket

Under fire England men's cricket Head Coach Brendon McCullum is moaning again.

Top level professional sport is all about winning. Coaches and players are paid mind numbing sums of money, get to travel first class, get the best health insurance and treatment and equipment sponsors.

And with that comes expectation of performance, on and off field conduct and examination of those.

As the batter who scored 158 not out in the very first IPL match, giving the BCCI just what it wanted in terms of publicity and fuelling their machine, you can't tell me that McCullum doesn't understand or accept these.

He has been part of the BCCI money making machine for long enough to know this.

By any metric the recent Ashes tour was a disaster. Which could and maybe should have been avoided with better planning and preparation.

Harry Brook's disciplinary issues in New Zealand and his lying to "protect his team mates" show to me that Brook is not mature enough to be in a leadership position of a national team.

By claiming that there was "no need to release information about the disciplinaries until they hit the media", McCullum is saying that he doesn't give a [insert preferred slang for faeces] about the optics of representing the national side or about transparency over player behaviour.

I have no love for a number of journalists on the cricket circuit (George Dobell is an exception, he's a fine man and a fair journalist), but if the Head Coach is going to cover up poor behaviour then every journo should dig like hell.

Words have meanings. When people in high profile positions say things, it matters. It shows the thinking going on and the awareness or lack thereof of the context.

The optics here are very poor. Another reason why McCullum isn't the right choice for England men's cricket Head Coach IMO.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/articles/cgezlxj74p7o

#Cricket #Ashes #BrendonMcCullum

Kevin Pietersen says only five England players are ‘good enough’ after Ashes defeat

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://metro.co.uk/2026/01/08/kevin-pietersen-says-five-england-players-good-enough-ashes-defeat-26156087/

England’s Bazballers finally admit they’ve got things wrong in this Ashes series

Geoffrey Boycott was never really known for going on the attack as a player. But the famously dour…
#NewsBeep #News #Headlines #adelaide #Ashes #AU #Australia #bazball #benstokes #BrendonMcCullum #cricket #defeat #England #geoffreyboycott #thirdtest
https://www.newsbeep.com/327455/