Eoin Morgan demands Brendon McCullum's appointment as England white-ball coach: 'Even if that's hybrid version'

Former England captain Eoin Morgan has advocated for Brendon McCullum to take charge of England’s white-ball teams. Speaking before Day 4 of the ongoing second Test against Sri Lanka, Eoin Morgan suggested that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) should make a strong effort to appoint Brendon McCullum as the head coach for the white-ball format.

Since Matthew Mott's resignation following England's underwhelming performances in the ODI World Cup 2023 and the recent T20 World Cup 2024, the position has been vacant, and the ECB is looking for an experienced coach to take charge.

Eoin Morgan advocates for Brendon McCullum’s appointment as England’s white-ball coach

Marcus Trescothick is currently working as England’s head coach on an interim basis and will coach the team in the upcoming limited-overs series against Australia. However, it is unlikely that Brendon McCullum will take up the job, as when he was appointed England’s head coach for Test cricket, he was very clear about his choices.

He was not interested in spending that much time away from home. However, Eoin Morgan stressed that if he were in the role of Rob Key, Managing Director of the England Cricket team, he would chase Brendon McCullum for the white-ball head coach role.

Even the 2019 World Cup-winning captain proposed a flexible arrangement, similar to the hybrid model used by Pakistan with Mickey Arthur before the 2023 ODI World Cup, to ease McCullum’s schedule.

Eoin Morgan was quoted as saying by Sky Sports: “If I were Rob Key, I would be asking him what we can do to make this happen. He has made such a significant difference to this Test side; he can help Jos Buttler and his team.”

Eoin Morgan added, “Even if that was a hybrid version in some form or another. He wouldn't have to be there day in and day out for each and every bilateral series. You talk about players being mobile because of the landscape of the game. Why can't we do that with coaches when the options arise?”

England coach should be the most sought-after job: Eoin Morgan

He believes that the role of England coach should be among the most coveted positions. Morgan suggested that rather than allowing the coach to take on roles in other leagues such as the IPL, it would be more beneficial to have them focus on a few key bilateral series each year and be present for significant moments.

The former England captain, who worked with McCullum for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL, reckoned that this approach would inject new energy, confidence, and belief into the team. Notably, Morgan’s name has also been doing the rounds for the top job with the England team.

Morgan signed off by saying, “The England coach should be the most sought-after job in the game. Why would you want him to go off and do IPL? Have him come in, do a handful of bilateral series throughout the year, and then be there for the major moments. Breathe fresh air into that changing room and confidence and belief.”