Brendon McCullum will leave his role as England’s Test head coach but continue to lead the white-ball teams.
McCullum took over the red-ball side in the spring of 2022 and brought about an immediate uplift in form with his ‘Bazball’ style, winning 11 of his first 13 Tests in charge after England had secured only one victory in 17 games prior to his appointment.
However, England have lost eight of their last 12 Tests under the 44-year-old – and won only three – following the recent 2-1 home series loss to New Zealand, which followed a 4-1 Ashes hammering over the winter on a tour littered with errors on and off the field.
Rob Key is set to stay on in his role as England managing director of men’s cricket
McCullum says he is “gutted” to be leaving as Test boss, with ECB chief executive Richard Gould saying “the time is right to make a change” as England build towards the home Ashes next summer.
England managing director Rob Key – who appointed McCullum four years ago – is set to stay on in his job.
McCullum: ‘Privilege’ to coach England Test team
McCullum became white-ball coach in early 2025 and although his first major tournament was a failure – a group-stage exit at that spring’s Champions Trophy – he has just led England to the top of the T20 international rankings with a 4-0 demolition of India.
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Highlights from the fifth T20 international between England and India in Southampton as the hosts romped to a 4-0 series win.
England reached the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup earlier this year before a narrow seven-run defeat to eventual champions India, with McCullum also contracted until the end of the next 50-over World Cup in Africa in late 2027.
It is all change for the Test team with England not only needing to find a replacement for McCullum as coach but also for Ben Stokes as captain, after the latter called time on his international career following the defeat to New Zealand at Trent Bridge.
McCullum said: “I’ve absolutely loved coaching the Test side and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together. There’ve been some unbelievable highs and a few tough days along the way, but that’s all part of taking on a challenge like this.
“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.
McCullum will continue to lead England in white-ball cricket
“I wish the Test team nothing but success. There’s a hell of a lot of talent in that dressing room and they’re a special bunch of lads.
“I’ll always be backing the boys, with a smile on my face, and hoping they keep taking the game on. I know they’ll continue to make people proud.”
Bazball starts with a bang but then fizzles out
England’s achievements in the Bazball era included a 3-0 sweep at home to New Zealand to kick off the McCullum-Stokes alliance and then the same result in Pakistan in late 2022, during which they scored 500 on day one of the Rawalpindi Test.
However, England were unable to win any of the four marquee five-Test series they played against India or Australia – drawing with those heavyweights at home and being drubbed away – with their overaggressive batting costing them on many occasions.
Drinking issues have also blighted the side with white-ball captain Harry Brook – the front-runner to replace Stokes in the Test role, perhaps even more so now after helming the 4-0 T20 thrashing of India – hit by a bouncer outside a nightclub in New Zealand last October, the evening before England played a one-day international.
England white-ball captain Harry Brook was involved on one od the winter drinking incident that plagued England
During The Ashes, a video seemingly showing batter Ben Duckett drunk during a beach break in Noosa emerged, while Stokes and seam bowler Gus Atkinson missed the second Test against New Zealand at The Oval last month after breaking a midnight curfew that had been installed after the raft of incidents over the winter.
Stokes and Atkinson were cleared of any misconduct after a situation in a nightclub which saw a member of ECB security personnel require stiches after being struck by a punch aimed at Atkinson from a Saracens academy rugby player.
Key: McCullum leaves Test side poised to achieve great things
On McCullum’s departure as Test coach, Key said: “Some of England’s most memorable moments in recent history have occurred under Brendon’s leadership of the Test team.
“It’s been an absolute privilege to watch him shape the mentality of the team, to one the players have loved, and see him develop a new generation of talent who will be at the heart of England men’s teams for years to come.
“He leaves the Test team well-set and poised to achieve great things.”
McCullum’s England begin an ODI series against India at Edgbaston on Tuesday, live on Sky Sports Cricket
Gould added: “Brendon breathed new life into England men’s Test team during an exciting period which saw some amazing victories, and we’re grateful for all he has given to the role.
“We now believe that the time is right to make a change for the Test team as we target victory in The Ashes next summer.”
Who takes charge post-Bazball?
Analysis from Sky Sports’ Adam Williams:
There should be no shortage of candidates to succeed Brendon McCullum as Test head coach and the names could be shortlisted from both at home and overseas.
Former Australia coach Justin Langer will probably feature at the top of most lists.
Langer has been out of the international limelight, ironically, since the start of Bazball but has been in charge of Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL since July 2023.
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Nasser Hussain has his say on who should be the next England Test coach after Brendon McCullum leaves the role
He is someone who knows the English domestic game well from his time playing for various counties and can point to leading Australia to Ashes series wins in his time in charge.
Just make sure any bins in the dressing room are out of his kicking range for those who remember the infamous scene from the documentary series The Test during the 2019 Ashes.
Former England captain Andrew Flintoff is the current coach of the England Lions and has also stepped in to assist with white-ball duties on recent occasions.
He would be a ready-made internal promotion for the ECB and would need little handover in terms of getting to know the talent at his disposal.
Andrew Flintoff is currently in charge of the England Lions
Good friends with Rob Key from his playing days and beyond so a working relationship is already well established.
But who might be his preference as next Test captain would be the first matter in his in-tray while Flintoff also agreed last month to be the new head coach of Sydney Thunder in Australia’s Big Bash League.
Andy Flower was previously England head coach at a time the Test side made it to No 1 in the world and secured a famous away Ashes series win in 2011.
His tenure ultimately broke down as his strained relationship with Kevin Pietersen and a chastening 5-0 defeat in Australia in 2013-14 became too much to handle.
He went on to look after the Lions for five years before then having a series of successful roles on the T20 franchise circuit and is still highly regarded.
Andy Flower has many years experience working for the ECB
Former England batter Jonathan Trott has been out of work since standing down as Afghanistan head coach earlier this year.
The 45-year-old would certainly be a marked departure from McCullum’s style for those who remember his gritty and obdurate innings at No 3 that helped England’s march to world No 1.
But he is another who has made a notable impression in his relatively short coaching career.
Peter Moores has had two previous stints as England head coach and having steered Nottinghamshire to the County Championship title last summer is arguably among the most revered domestic coaches.
But he would seem a long shot to come back for a third stint.
Surrey director of cricket Gareth Batty could also be thrown into the ring in the same bracket. The former England off-spinner has overseen a flurry of championship titles in recent years and is another who would know the player pool well having either coached them directly or plotted how to get the better of them as opponents.
Mickey Arthur has bags of experience of experience at international level having coached his native South Africa as well as Australia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka over the past 20 years.
But the current Derbyshire head coach may prefer to stay out of the limelight and continue building on his hard work from the past four years.
Former Australia batter and head coach Darren Lehmann falls into the same bracket as the current coach of Northamptonshire.
But in Lehmann’s favour is the fact he masterminded Ashes series wins over England just over a decade ago.
That came before his tenure in charge of Australia ended abruptly amid the sandpaper-gate scandal that embroiled former captain Steve Smith and batter David Warner.
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