HOW HE TURNED AROUND BLACK CAPS
BY RICHARD EDWARDS
ENGLAND’S new Test coach will bring the same aggressive approach that turned New Zealand’s team from zeroes to heroes.
Ex-Kiwi captain Brendon McCullum took over on Thursday – despite all his previous coaching being in shorter white ball formats.
But Heinrich Malan, New Zealand’s ex-assistant coach and coach of Ireland, says the former wicketkeeper is a safe pair of hands.
And also, just what England need after plunging to a 27-year Test low and sixth in the ICC rankings.
“I would think he has been appointed because he shares the same kind of vision and views as Ben Stokes and Rob
Key,” said Malan (right).
“I think if you look at it,
England are probably now at a very similar point to New Zealand when Brendon was appointed captain in 2012. It took some time but he played a massive role in completely changing the fortunes of that side.
“That New Zealand team played the kind of cricket I think England will be looking to play now.
“So in that sense, he’s a perfect fit.”
McCullum failed to win any of his first nine Tests as skipper – a run which included a drawn series against England in New Zealand and a 2-0 series defeat against Alastair’s Cook side just months later.
But by the time he left the job in 2016, the Black Caps fortunes had been transformed.
And the foundations had been laid for them to be crowned the first World Test champions.
At the moment, it is hard to see England emulating that feat.
They have only won two of their last 18 Tests and slumped to a humiliating 4-0 defeat to Australia in The Ashes this winter.
With a new coach, captain and managing director in the form of McCullum, Stokes and Key, though, Malan believes the only way is up.