Brendon McCullum named England's white-ball head coach as ECB abandons split-coaching model

England National Cricket Team have appointed Brendon McCullum as the head coach of the team across the formats. The former New Zealand skipper, who was the head coach of the red-ball team, has been handed the white-ball coaching role as well.

England National Cricket Team were in need of a white-ball coach since Matthew Mott resigned from the job after the T20 World Cup 2024. Several names like Kumar Sangakkara and Rahul Dravid were floating up for the role.

But in a massive development, Brendon McCullum was handed the job. The former New Zealand skipper, who has been with the team since 2022, has got an extended contract until the end of 2027.

Brendon McCullum will be taking over the charge of the white-ball team after the Caribbean tour. Marcus Trescothick will serve as Interim Head Coach for the upcoming series against Australia and the West Indies team later on. The latter has been the assistant coach for the team in the Tests.

McCullum is currently part of the Test team for the ongoing three-match series against Sri Lanka National Cricket Team. After the series, he will be taking a break and then will be joining the team again for the away series against Pakistan in October and the three-match Test series against New Zealand in December.

Brendon McCullum talked about his appointment as the head coach of the England white-ball team. He said that he is excited to extend his role, stating that he has enjoyed time with the red-ball team. He said that he is ready to work with Jos Buttler and take the team forward. He stated:

"I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Test team, and I’m excited to extend my role to include the white-ball sides. This new challenge is something I’m ready to embrace, and I’m eager to work closely with Jos (Buttler) and the team to build on the strong foundations that are already in place."

My goal is to create an environment where everyone can thrive - Brendon McCullum

Brendon McCullum further said that he was taken aback by Rob Key’s vision for the future of English cricket, and that forced him to take the role. He said that his goal is to create an environment where everyone can thrive. He elaborated:

“Rob Key’s vision for the future of English cricket is something that resonated with me. The idea of a unified coaching structure, especially with the schedule easing next year, made perfect sense. I’m energised by the prospect of guiding both teams and am grateful for the support from the ECB and my family as I take on these added responsibilities.

“The talent within English cricket is immense, and I’m looking forward to helping these players reach their full potential. My goal is to create an environment where everyone can thrive and where we can continue to compete at the highest level across all formats.”

Brendon McCullum has had a huge success as the Test coach of the England team. He has completely changed the way of how the team played the game. He would be keen to carry forward that same mindset in the white-ball as well.