Brendon McCullum sat back in a corner of a sponsor’s event in London this week, smiling more often than frowning, and spoke about what comes next for his Test side. “The period of reflection post-Ashes has actually been pretty good to get some clarity around some of those things as well,” he said. “From my point of view, I was always very keen to finish the job that we started.”
That job, you will remember, began in 2022 with Bazball fireworks and a run of series wins. Since then, England have slipped: four five-match rubbers without victory (twice v Australia, twice v India) and a current ledger that reads 26 wins, 18 defeats from 46 Tests. Look closer and only three of seven multi-match series have been won since January 2024. The 4-1 defeat in Australia last winter hurt badly and triggered an ECB review. McCullum kept his post but, in his words, “You don’t point fingers at other people, you look at what you did yourself”.
The head coach joined that review, though he admits he has not read every page of the section on his own performance. A little distance was, he felt, essential. Once England’s T20 World Cup exit to India in early March was dealt with, he took time away from cricket – hence missing the opening rounds of the County Championship. “I probably over-estimated… I felt that when we got to Australia we were rock-hard fit and ready to go, I thought we were as well-prepared as what we could be,” he reflected. “I’ll put my hand up – I thought some of our guys were more ready for the pressure that was coming in Australia than what we were. We weren’t quite able to handle it as a group.”
Preparation, performance and professionalism were the charges levelled at the touring party. Harry Brook’s well-publicised brush with a club bouncer in Wellington on the preceding white-ball leg did little to boost perceptions, nor did the much-debated mid-series break in Noosa – a trip McCullum arranged and still defends as essential downtime. “Now it’s about how do we navigate a way forward,” he went on. “How do we add skills and tools so that the next time we’re in that same situation, we’re able to actually handle it better so that we can play the style of cricket that we want that gives us the best chance?”
Insiders say the ECB board, led by chief executive Richard Gould, liked much of what McCullum has brought – particularly the open dressing-room culture – but want “refinement”. It is a word he now leans on. The belief is that England’s aggressive method remains viable, though it needs smarter risk management and, bluntly, more runs from the top order. Ben Stokes agrees and has told selectors the same.
One adjustment already visible is an extended training camp in Loughborough, scheduled before the first Test of the summer. Players will arrive after their county commitments and spend proper time together – something missing last year when IPL returnees flew in days before Lord’s. Mark Ramprakash, the former batting coach, likes the move. “Familiarity breeds confidence,” he says. “If England can combine their positive intent with more disciplined prep, they’ll be dangerous again.”
McCullum’s back-room staff remain intact. Assistant coach Paul Collingwood is overseeing fielding drills, while Jeetan Patel continues with the spinners. Analysts have dug into those Ashes batting collapses – 36 for 4 at Adelaide still stings – and identified a tendency to mis-read length on the quicker Australian decks. Whether that knowledge translates to UK conditions is another matter, yet McCullum seems buoyed by the work. “We’ll be a more refined version of ourselves,” he insists, without revealing specific tactical tweaks.
As for the coach’s own enthusiasm, the bank balance is not the only motivation. His seven-figure deal runs until the end of next year, taking in a home Ashes and an ODI World Cup in South Africa. He wants both. Friends say a fortnight in New Zealand, fishing rod in hand, reminded him why he took the England gig in the first place: a chance to shake up Test cricket and, importantly, win something tangible. There is also the small matter of legacy. Should England regain the Ashes in 2027, the story of 2025-26 will be written very differently.
Right now, though, it is about this summer – two Tests against Sri Lanka followed by three against Pakistan. Both opponents bring spin threat, so expect England to pick at least one specialist alongside Joe Root. Rehan Ahmed is in pole position, though another county month will decide the final call. Bowling depth is healthier; Ollie Robinson is fitter, Jofra Archer bowls with increasing bite and Gus Atkinson offers extra pace. Chris Woakes returns after knee rehab and, with James Anderson still around, England have options.
The batting debate, perennial as it is, centres on Ben Duckett’s opening partner. Zak Crawley keeps his name on the sheet for now, but Surrey’s Jamie Smith is being watched closely as a top-order alternative who can also keep wicket if required. Smith, asked about the chatter, gave a suitably grounded reply: “All I can do is score runs.”
It is that simple truth – runs and wickets – which McCullum keeps circling back to. Swagger and slogans are fine, yet results remain the ultimate currency. The Kiwi has not lost his faith in the bold approach, though neither is he blind to its flaws. There is a sense, even in his laid-back tone, that the honeymoon ended in Sydney. The next phase must show growth.
“We weren’t quite able to handle it as a group and that’s something we’ll forever look back on and be disappointed that we passed up the opportunity to succeed down there,” he said of the Ashes. A pause, then the line that matters most: “Now it’s about how do we navigate a way forward.”
The job is unfinished; at least McCullum still wants to do it.
