Black Caps great lined up for England test cricket role
Brendon McCullum has emerged as a strong contender to be England’s new head coach, and the former New Zealand skipper could be in charge in time for England facing his country in the opening test of the summer.
While McCullum is best known for leading New Zealand to the 2015 World Cup final, he also excelled in test cricket. McCullum played 101 tests for the Black Caps, averaging 38.64, and scored New Zealand’s maiden triple century against India in 2014.
As captain from 2013, he led New Zealand to seven consecutive undefeated test series, and is credited with transforming the culture of the side after New Zealand were bowled out for 45 against South Africa in his opening test.
As test captain McCullum favoured an aggressive approach, which chimes with how both Ben Stokes, England’s new test captain, and Rob Key, the new managing director, like to play the game. His track record of rebuilding a test nation could be particularly attractive after England’s run of one victory in 17 tests.
“We weren’t playing a style of cricket which was attractive at all, and it lacked spine and substance,” McCullum told Telegraph Sport about New Zealand’s transformation under his test captaincy.
He said that the low point of being bowled out for 45 “gave us an opportunity to be able to really look at exactly where we sat and what the perception of us was like, and what our output was like, and then also how we sort of viewed ourselves — and a lot of those didn’t really match up”.
McCullum retired from international cricket in 2016, signing off with a 54-ball test century against Australia in Christchurch.
He retired from the Twenty20 circuit in 2019, and has since become a head coach. Working with his close friend Eoin Morgan, McCullum led Kolkata Knight Riders to the Indian Premier League final last season, although the side are struggling this campaign.
McCullum has never coached a first-class match, and was thought to be largely a contender to be England’s white-ball head coach. But he has retained a strong affinity for test cricket, saying there was “something pretty romantic” to end his international career with the longest format.
As a New Zealander, McCullum would be fiercely motivated by England’s aim of defeating Australia to regain the Ashes in the summer of 2023.
He played regularly in the T20 Blast during his career, and has a good foundation of contacts within the English game.
It remains possible that McCullum could do the white-ball role, but it is thought that England are now attracted by appointing him to the test coach.
South Africa’s Gary Kirsten was previously regarded as the favourite to be new test head coach for England. He is now at risk of being usurped at the interview stage, just as was the case in 2019 when he lost out on the job to Chris Silverwood.