- Brendon McCullum said there could be “someone better” to lead England if he is not “able to steer the ship”.
- ECB chief executive Richard Gould is carrying out a “thorough review” and will “implement the necessary changes over the coming months” after the 4-1 Ashes defeat.
- McCullum defended England’s time in Noosa and said he and Ben Stokes remain aligned in their “vision” for the team.
Brendon McCullum has said England’s next phase must still carry his authority, even with change on the agenda after a heavy Ashes defeat.
England lost the series 4-1 in Australia, and the England and Wales Cricket Board is now assessing the tour. ECB chief executive Richard Gould is carrying out a “thorough review” and will “implement the necessary changes over the coming months”. McCullum has held talks with Gould and ECB chairman Richard Thompson, with England’s white ball tour of Sri Lanka less than two weeks away, followed by the T20 World Cup.
McCullum said he wants to stay, yet he framed his future around influence, not job security.
The 44 year old said he is “keen” to remain head coach, but it would “depend what changes” are imposed upon him.
“I’ve a firm conviction in a lot of my methods,” said McCullum. “I’m not against evolution and not against progress.
“I encourage that across all sports, not just cricket. And all aspects of life as well. So I’m not against that.
“However, you need to stand for something. You need to believe in your methods and you need to believe in how you go about things.”
McCullum, director of cricket Rob Key and captain Ben Stokes took charge four years ago, following an earlier Ashes tour that ended 4 0. Their early run brought 10 wins from 11 Tests, then the approach came under sharper focus in Australia, with England trailing with bat, ball and in the field.
Preparation has also been questioned, including the absence of a full time bowling coach, plus no specialist fielding coach in the touring staff. The ECB hierarchy has signalled a wish to avoid the sweeping leadership changes that often follow a tour loss in Australia, yet McCullum’s comments underlined that any reset must still leave him shaping the environment.
“Whatever you do in life, you have to have some authenticity,” said McCullum.
“For me in the job as coach, you need to have an influence over how the environment runs and to be in charge of a lot of those decisions that are made when the pressure is on.
“So as long as that remains, I’m open to progress. I’m open to evolution and some nipping and tucking, but without being ultimately able to steer the ship maybe there is someone better.”
One strand of criticism has focused on claims of a drinking culture within the group. England went to Noosa between the second and third Tests, with players photographed in bars. On the limited overs tour of New Zealand that preceded the Ashes, Harry Brook was involved in an altercation with a nightclub bouncer the night before a one day international in Wellington. Brook, England’s white ball captain and Test vice captain, has been fined around 30,000 pounds and given a final warning. He has apologised “unreservedly”.
Speaking before the Brook incident became public, McCullum played down the idea that alcohol defines the squad.
“Half of our guys don’t have a drink to be honest,” said McCullum.
“They’ll have a couple of beers every now and again. I think people do that in most walks of life.”
McCullum also defended the decision to keep the Noosa break in the schedule.
“I felt Noosa was quite important,” said McCullum. “They enjoyed themselves off the field and I don’t think they did things to excess, and they were still putting in the work off the field in terms of training, albeit not in front of everyone.”
Stokes has said he expects McCullum to remain in charge for England’s first Test of the home summer against New Zealand in June. McCullum said his working relationship with Stokes remains direct, with regular debate and a shared end point.
“We always have robust conversations,” said McCullum. “That’s why you invest in those relationships on the basis of mates, but also as colleagues.
“It doesn’t always mean he’s going to agree with my stuff or I’ll agree with some of his, but we commit and support one another and that’s how I think leadership works.”