Ravi Shastri chosen to fix England Cricket after Ashes 2025-26 disaster; Brendon McCullum shown exit door

Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri has been picked as the replacement for current English head coach Brendon McCullum following the intense criticism he faced due to England's humiliating showing in the 2025-26 Ashes.

England have been facing humiliation from all over the world, but their head coach, Brendon McCullum, seems unbothered by the criticisms. McCullum, who has always done things on his own, is not ready to compromise his strategies only for the sake of results.

England lost the Ashes after having lost the first three games within a combined effort of just 11 days. Post this humiliation, McCullum's reign as the England coach is under immense scrutiny, and the ECB board members might be debating over his future.

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Brendon McCullum to be sacked; Former cricketer names Ravi Shastri replacement

Amid a crisis for England, Ben Stokes and the head coach, Brendon McCullum, former English spinner Monty Panesar has suggested a replacement for the English head coach, who they believe can change England's fate against Australia.

Panesar named former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri as the ideal candidate to take over as England coach. The ECB tends to swap coaches, as McCullum too was appointed after England's heavy 4-0 defeat to Australia in the 2022 Ashes.

The duo of Ben Stokes and McCullum had reignited England's hopes in red-ball cricket with 10 wins out of 11 games, and McCullum's Bazball strategy was functioning as a revolution in the longest format of the game. However, their form has stagnated against major forces like Australia and India, where they have not managed to win a single five-match series.

Speaking to Ravi Bisht, Monty Panesar revealed that Ravi Shastri is the ideal candidate for England at the moment, since he knows how to beat Australia on their own land.

“You have to think: who exactly knows how to beat Australia? How do you take advantage of Australia’s weaknesses, mentally, physically, and tactically? I think Ravi Shastri should become England’s next head coach,” said Panesar.

Brendon McCullum clings to England coaching role despite criticism

Despite the immense criticism, McCullum has remained relatively unaffected by the buzz. Much like the England captain, he too wishes to continue till his contract ends after the conclusion of the 2027 ICC World Cup, but also accepts that following the Ashes defeat, his future is no longer in his control.

"I don't know. It's not really up to me, is it? I will just keep trying to do the job, try to learn the lessons that I haven't quite got right here and make adjustments. Those questions are for someone else, not for me," McCullum said on his future with England.

McCullum also said that being the coach of a national side is a "pretty good gig," as one gets to travel across the globe and try and play some exciting brand of cricket. He also claimed credit for England's progress from the time he joined to where they are now.

Ravi Shastri's monumental success against Australia

Ravi Shastri is undoubtedly one of the most successful Test coaches in the world, and under his reign, India claimed the no. 1 spot in the ICC Test Rankings. The golden era of Indian cricket also falls under his reign.

Under Shastri, India beat the mighty Aussies not once but twice on Australian soil. This was also India's first triumph on Australian soil, the first in 2018/19, and then they retained the trophy in 2020/21.

Ravi Shastri's reign was also a roller-coaster ride since there were moments when the team struggled with poor form, but what made a statement in the Shastri era was comebacks. India had even staged a fightback after the infamous 36-all-out at Adelaide and won the series down under.

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