Joe Root says his batting has gone “tenfold” forward under Brendon McCullum and insists England still have the right coach, even after a painful Ashes winter.
Speaking in Colombo after England levelled the ODI series against Sri Lanka, Root offered a firm defence of the New Zealander, whose methods – relaxed dressing-room, minimal curfews, plenty of freedom – are being questioned following a heavy Ashes defeat and whispers of off-field lapses.
“I think Baz is one of the best coaches I’ve ever worked with,” Root said soon after the win. “Obviously we’re disappointed with the way things went out in Australia, but I still think there’s a lot more really exciting things to come from this group.”
He then added the personal angle. “If you look at my own personal game, the time that he’s been the coach, it’s improved tenfold.” The numbers back him up: 16 Test hundreds at an average north of 56 since McCullum and Ben Stokes took charge in 2022.
More than one voice
Root is not alone. Before the Sydney Test, Stokes said he could not imagine “someone else” leading the side, while in Colombo Harry Brook described McCullum as the best head coach he has had “by a million miles”. Those comments matter because the England and Wales Cricket Board is now weighing up whether to stick or twist, with managing director Rob Key expected to stay on.
Inside the camp, faith in McCullum appears intact. “Obviously it’s more fun when you win,” Root admitted, “but I’m still having the best time of my life. I get to turn up and do the thing that I love every day with a great group of people, some brilliant minds and some experts that you can constantly keep improving and developing under.”
Lessons, not excuses
The bigger question is whether England can adapt. Stokes conceded in Sydney that opponents have “worked us out” at times, calling the side “too one-dimensional”. That places the onus on McCullum to rethink plans away from the all-out aggression that defined the early months of his reign. The ECB, in turn, must decide if he is still the man for that reset.
Leadership talk
Root also gave a vote of confidence to Brook, who lost the ODI captaincy for one match after a well-publicised late-night row with a bouncer on the eve of a 50-over game against New Zealand.
“I think it’s a natural feeling for anyone that’s made a mistake that you feel like you’ve let people down,” Root said. “Harry’s a great fella and he’s going to be an incredible captain. He clearly feels bad about what happened, but from my side of things, he’s got a job to do and I think he’s doing it exceptionally well. He’s apologised, he’s taken his punishment and he’s d”
The sentence, like England’s winter, ends abruptly, but the sentiment is clear: inside a camp under scrutiny, major figures are standing by their man – and each other – for now.
