Stuart Broad defends Brendon McCullum after Alastair Cook’s explosive criticism
Published - 06 Mar 2025, 05:50 PM | Updated - 06 Mar 2025, 05:58 PM
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Alastair Cook has raised concerns about the England National Cricket Team’s preparation and training methods under head coach Brendon McCullum after they failed to make it to the knockouts of the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
The former England captain and legendary batter believes the current relaxed approach in the dressing room may not be the best for maintaining high-performance levels across all three formats of the game. Despite some promising results in Test cricket, McCullum has struggled to guide England to the ICC World Test Championship final in two cycles.
Alastair Cook slams England’s training under Brendon McCullum after ICC Champions Trophy 2025 disaster
And then the New Zealander’s start as a white-ball coach has also been underwhelming, with England losing the ODI series 0-3 to India and failing to win a single game in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Slamming his coaching methods, Cook said that he would not have enjoyed the relaxedness that the current has under McCullum’s tenure as head coach.
Alastair Cook said on the Load Of BS On Sport podcast, “All my preparation was done leading up to it. I hit a lot of balls. I see the setup now with Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes, and it's a lot more relaxed. I'm not sure how much I would have enjoyed that relaxedness.
I liked—I suppose with Goochy (Graeme Gooch), hit lots of balls, and if you're in form, hit even more balls because you don't want to waste that rhythm. Andy Flower was constantly improving, always working.”
Stuart Broad fires back at Alastair Cook in defense of Brendon McCullum
After his former teammate and captain Alastair Cook’s criticism of England’s training standards under Brendon McCullum, the former England pacer Stuart Broad has strongly defended the coach. Broad dismissed claims that the team lacks discipline, as he revealed that the relaxed atmosphere on match days is designed to help players perform without fear on the field.
Sharing Barmy Army’s post of Cook’s statement on X, Stuart Broad posted, X: “It’s more relaxed on match days. To try & create an environment where players can be themselves and play without fear. My experience of training under Baz & BS was as it always was at the top level. There is room to improve. The quality of training is always down to the players’ approach.”
It’s more relaxed on match days. To try & create an environment where players can be themselves and play without fear. My experience of training under Baz & BS was as it always was at the top level. There to improve. The quality of training is always down to the players approach. https://t.co/sFsXjudG7C
— Stuart Broad (@StuartBroad8) March 6, 2025
The players with longevity are the best trainers: Stuart Broad
The legendary English paceman further insisted that top-level training is still a priority, but success depends on a player’s dedication. He pointed to legends like Joe Root, James Anderson, and Jos Buttler as examples of those who thrived due to their work ethic.
Broad said in another post, “What I mean by the players approach. If the player doesn’t train well & improve, that player won’t survive at the top level & it will show. The players with longevity are the best trainers. Cook. Root. Stokes. Anderson. Buttler. KP. Collingwood. Bell, JMB, and Woakesy, to name a few.”
What I mean by the players approach. If the player doesn’t train well & improve, that player won’t survive at the top level & it will show. The players with longevity are the best trainers. Cook. Root. Stokes. Anderson. Buttler. KP. Collingwood. Bell. JMB. Woakesy to name a few
— Stuart Broad (@StuartBroad8) March 6, 2025
Notably, Jos Buttler has resigned as England’s white-ball captain after the team failed to defend the ODI World Cup in 2023 and poor performance in the 2024 T20 World Cup and now in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The ECB is yet to name Buttler’s successor.
