England National Cricket Team head coach Brendon McCullum has finally opened up on his future with the English team amid the horrendous campaign in the Ashes 2025-26 Down Under.
Brendon McCullum said that his future as the England head coach is not in his hands as the higher powers will make that decision, but insisted that he is the right man to take the team forward.
I’ll just keep trying to do the job, try to learn the lessons – Brendon McCullum
After taking over as red-ball head coach of England, Brendon McCullum revolutionized the team as they adopted a fresh ‘Bazball’ style, which is a playing an attacking and entertaining brand of cricket.
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This brought the team plenty of success at the start, and England started winning after going through a lengthy lean path in Test cricket.
However, with time, England have faced the accusations of being too cocky and not listening to the advice from the former cricketer to adapt their playing style as per the conditions.
Overall, Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes have won 25 Tests and lost 17 out of 44 games that they played, but since the start of 2024, they have lost 13 and won just 12. They have also lost the ongoing Ashes series with two matches still remaining.
Amid England’s disastrous campaign in Ashes 2025-26, there have been calls to sack Brendon McCullum as the head coach. When McCullum was asked whether he would be in charge of the team at the start of the 2026 English summer, he replied:
“I don’t know. It’s not really up to me, is it? I’ll just keep trying to do the job, try to learn the lessons that [we] Haven’t quite got it right here and try to make some adjustments. Those questions are for someone else, not for me.”
Notably, Brendon McCullum initially joined as red-ball head coach of England before receiving a contract extension through to 2027 while taking over as the all-format head coach. In case he is sacked before 2027, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) could reportedly lose over £1million.
Those other decisions are up to other people – Brendon McCullum
Brendon McCullum further said that he has enjoyed his time with England and, under his guidance, the team has made significant improvements. He elaborated:
“It’s a pretty good gig. It’s good fun. You travel the world with the lads and try to play some exciting cricket and try to achieve some things … For me, it’s a matter of trying to just get the very best out of the people and try to achieve what you can with them.
“Those other decisions are up to other people. But from my point of view, I’m enjoying the time that I’ve got with these guys and I think we’ve made some progress from when I took over to where we are. We’re not the finished article, but I think we’ve definitely improved as a cricket team. We’ve had an identity about us. Now’s the time for us in the last two Tests to really show that identity and try to salvage something from it.”
This one is going to sting, no doubt – Brendon McCullum
Although England have lost the Ashes series, they still have a lot to play for with the ICC World Test Championship points on the table as well as a chance to register their first Test win on Australian soil since 2011.
Meanwhile, Brendon McCullum is fully focused on winning the next Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and then in Sydney to deny ultra-humiliation. He said:
“Well, we’ve got to find a way to win the next one. If we can just play again, just find that beautiful state you can get in where you’re not restricted by the pressures and the expectations of everything. Acknowledge all of that, lean into it, and just accept that it’s going to be there, but then just go out and when you cross the line, go out and just play the game.
“If we can do that, then we give ourselves a better chance. Camaraderie, morale will always be what it is within this group. We’ve tried to unite this team right throughout and we try to ensure that everyone is putting into the bucket, and that will be no different over the coming days.
“This one is going to sting, no doubt. But we know we’ve got a job to do in Melbourne and in Sydney. If we can salvage something out of the next two Test matches, then that’s something.”
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