Choice of McCullum ‘a big risk’
The appointment of former Blacks Caps captain Brendon McCullum as coach of the England test team has sparked a lot of talk.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan was the loudest voice of doubt as Brendon McCullum was unveiled as his country’s new test cricket coach yesterday.
In the space of a few days, the former Black Cap went from being talked about as a white-ball coaching option to being appointed as their red-ball coach on a four-year contract, through to the end of the next Ashes series in Australia.
McCullum’s only coaching experience has been in franchise Twenty20 cricket, which means the first of three tests between England and New Zealand at Lord’s in June will be his first match in charge of a first-class side.
Writing for The Telegraph, Vaughan said: ‘‘What England have gone for in Brendon is exciting and a big name, but it is a big risk as well.
‘‘He will not have to do much for us all to see a massive improvement, but if it doesn’t happen quickly then there will be questions asked about his appointment and whether England would have been better off with a safer pair of hands, more experienced and know how to coach in test cricket’’.
Another former captain, Michael Atherton, writing in The Times, was among those excited by what could lie in store with McCullum as coach and Christchurch-born all-rounder Ben Stokes freshly installed as captain.
‘‘Every supporter in the land must surely be excited by the potential of the combination of Stokes and McCullum to shake England’s test team out of their torpor,’’ wrote Atherton. ‘‘They may not succeed, but it will be a lot of fun watching them try.’’
‘‘It could be an inspired pick,’’ was how Atherton finished his column, but New Zealand fans will be hoping England don’t reap instant rewards.
The Black Caps won their first test series in England in 22 years last June and will be eyeing a repeat this year, against a side that has now gone five series without a series win – their worst run in 15 years.
Chris Silverwood was dismissed from his all-format coaching role with England after they lost the Ashes 5-0 over the summer in Australia and Joe Root resigned as captain after they followed that tour up with a 1-0 loss in the West Indies.
Former player Rob Key was installed as England’s managing director of men’s cricket and tasked with turning them around and in appointing Stoke and McCullum, he’s made it clear he’s willing to make bold decisions.
McCullum told his now-former employer SENZ that the challenge of rebuilding England’s test team appealed to him more than a ‘‘cushy kind of gig’’ with their white-ball sides, who are among the best in the world.
‘‘For me, if you’re prepared to change your life for something, then it’s got to be something a bit grunty, a little bit meaty.
‘‘Bringing a team that is rock bottom at the moment out of that situation and trying to build something that’s long-term, sustainable and successful, that was more where the challenge lay.’’
Black Caps coach Gary Stead said he was surprised when he heard McCullum’s name linked with the England test job, but said it was
Former England captain Mike Atherton
‘‘They may not succeed, but it will be a lot of fun watching them try.’’
fantastic news for him, for England, and for New Zealand.
‘‘It shows the coaching stocks in New Zealand are sought after and have been for a long period of time.
‘‘There’s no doubt Brendon’s had the ability to pull teams together. He’s done that in the past, and I’m sure that will happen in this case with England as well. I have no doubt it’ll make them a tougher proposition.’’
Stead played down the idea that McCullum’s appointment would make the already hotly anticipated series more intriguing, but that will certainly be the case from the outside looking in leading up to the first ball at Lord’s on June 2.
The last time McCullum played a test at the home of cricket, in May 2015, he was in the away dressing room and Stokes was in the home one, for a match England won by 124 runs.
In his autobiography, Declared, McCullum said ‘‘it’s another magnificent knock from Ben Stokes that really hurts us,’’ referring to his maiden test century, which helped England turn a 134-run first innings deficit into a 344-run final-innings lead.
That was a time when McCullum’s influence on the Black Caps was at its peak, and they would have fancied their chances of chasing down 345 in 77 overs, before slumping to 12-3, 61-5, and 220 all out.
McCullum’s was the fifth wicket to fall, bowled for a golden duck by Stokes, but his positive approach as a captain and batsman, which was further on display in the second test – won by New Zealand – and the ODI series that followed, won over many admirers in the United Kingdom.
Seven years later, McCullum and Stokes are now set to be on the same side, and the Black Caps will be wary of what that could mean.