Brendon McCullum is to stand down as England men's Test coach after four years in charge, but will continue his role with the white-ball sides.
McCullum inititally took over as England's Test head coach in May 2022 and presided over one of the most engaging summers in English cricketing history.
England beat New Zealand and South Africa in their first two series' under his tenure, which led to the coining of the term Bazball to describe their high-octane style of play. That winter, England became the first team ever to record a cleansweep in a three-match Test series in Pakistan. The following summer, England drew the 2023 Ashes at home, having come back from 2-0 down in the series.
That, however, represented the high-point of McCullum's Test leadership. England were beaten 4-1 in India in early 2024, before a transitional home summer that saw the retirement of James Anderson. The winter saw them go back to Pakistan where they lost 2-1.
In early, McCullum took over responsibility for England's white-ball sides as well as his Test role, with his contract extended to continue until after the 2027 50-over World Cup.
Leadership strains emerge during Ashes defeat
However, strains over McCullum's Test leadership emerged during the 2025/26 Ashes series. As his side slid to a devastating defeat, in a series labelled by McCullum as 'the biggest in our lives', he admitted responsibility for not getting the preparation for the series right. There were also tensions over a reported drinking culture in the side concerning their mid-series break in Noosa, and several incidents of players appearing intoxicated in public.
Differences over England's approach emerged between McCullum and Ben Stokes for the first time, with Stokes adopting a grittier style as the series wore on, over McCullum's laissez-faire approach. Following the series, it was uncertain whether McCullum would keep his position, but a review into England's performance concluded with him still in position, albeit with changes signalled. A bigger backroom staff was employed for the T20 World Cup following the series, and a curfew was put in place.
Despite having kept his job following the Ashes, however, McCullum's tenure has unravelled quickly this summer. The incident involving Stokes and Gus Atkinson following the Lord's Test that prompted the pair's exclusion from the second match of the series against New Zealand reportedly led to a schism in the pair's relationship. McCullum's press conference where he repeatedly expressed his 'worry' for Stokes, coupled with both McCullum's and Rob Key's reluctance to back Stokes' to continue as Test captain, seemed to lead to further deterioration in the relationship between Stokes' and ECB management.
After Stokes' announced his retirement on day four of England's third Test against New Zealand, there was further speculation over whether McCullum would continue as Test coach. England's defeat at Trent Bridge was their seventh in nine Tests, and the series was their first defeat in a three-Test series at home since 2012. McCullum said after the match that his "comitment to England has never wavered".
However, less than two weeks later, McCullum has stepped down as Test coach, saying in a statement: “It’s been a privilege and an honour, and I’m grateful. Grateful to the players, the staff and the fans who supported us on the journey.
“Of course I'm gutted not to be continuing, but I respect the decision. My focus now is on giving everything I've got to the White Ball teams and helping England keep moving forward.”
A statement from the ECB said the process to recruit a new Test coach will now begin. England's next Test assignment is against Pakistan at the end of August.
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