ECB Confirms Brendon McCullum's Appointment As England Men Test Team's Head Coach
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed in a statement that former New Zealand wicket-keeper batter, Brendon McCullum, has been named as the new head coach of the England Men’s Test team.
His appointment comes on the back of Chris Silverwood’s exit, who was the all-format coach for England before being sacked this February. McCullum resurrected New Zealand’s scene in Test cricket after a string of failures.
He paved the way for a new brand of cricket in the longest format and his style of coaching could benefit England in a similar manner that it did for Kane Williamson and co. during the WTC 2019-21 cycle.
“I’d like to say how pleased I am to be given this opportunity to positively contribute to England’s Test cricket set-up and move the team forward into a more successful era.”
“In taking this role on, I am acutely aware of the significant challenges the team faces at present, and I strongly believe in my ability to help the team emerge as a stronger force once we’ve confronted them head-on,” McCullum said after the appointment.
“Ben Stokes is the perfect character to inspire change around him” – Brendon McCullum
Prior to McCullum’s appointment, Ben Stokes was named the captain of the Test team in a series of changes made under the new management of Rob Key. The duo of Stokes and McCullum will begin their respective assignments when England faces off against New Zealand at Lord’s on June 2.
“I’ve enjoyed several robust conversations with Rob Key about the direction of travel for the team and have found his enthusiasm contagious. I’m no stranger to bringing about change within a team environment, and I can’t wait to get started.”
“Ben Stokes is the perfect character to inspire change around him, and I look forward to working closely with him to build a successful unit around us,” McCullum added.
The current state of England’s Test team is quite a predicament and McCullum will have to dig deep and bring about the change that ECB will be desperately hoping for.
