​Brendon McCullum has issued an apology for England’s performance under his leadership after being dismissed as Test coach on Sunday. England have lost seven of their last nine Tests, 19 of their past 38, and have failed to claim a five-match series against either Australia or India during his four-year tenure. The New Zealander will continue in charge of England’s white-ball teams, with a contract in place until the end of the 50-over World Cup in southern Africa in autumn 2027.
“Its a results business, and, unfortunately, we weren’t able to secure the results we wanted, and for that I’m sorry,” McCullum told BBC Sport. “India and Australia are the marquee series, and if you don’t win those, you haven’t quite achieved what you wanted. We did some good things over the four years, but, fundamentally, the results didn’t live up to it at the back end, hence the decision was made.”
McCullum’s departure marks another chapter in the difficulties surrounding the England Test team. His dismissal came two weeks after former captain Ben Stokes announced his international retirement. The Bazball era’s decline began with a 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia, after which McCullum, Stokes, and director of cricket Rob Key were permitted to remain in their roles. Yet a 2-1 home series defeat by New Zealand proved to be the turning point—ending Stokes’s tenure first, followed by McCullum’s. Key remains in position and has received long-term support from England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive Richard Gould.
“Australia, we didn’t get the outcome we wanted there,” McCullum said. “Looking back, I thought we made some positive changes, some good evolution, and I tried to implement a few different tactics and tweaks to the environment. We were beaten by a good New Zealand side, and that raises the pressure on results. At some point, someone has to take responsibility, and I’ll raise my hand and take that accountability.”
The latter stages of McCullum’s tenure have been clouded by off-field issues. Over the winter, Harry Brook, Jacob Bethell, Josh Tongue, and Ben Duckett were involved in late-night incidents. After England won the opening Test of the summer against New Zealand, the series was derailed when Stokes and Gus Atkinson breached the team’s midnight curfew and were present when a security staff member was struck by a Saracens rugby player. McCullum accepted responsibility for what happened both on and off the field. “I was the leader of that group. I was in charge of the team culturally, tactically, and in charge of results as well,” he said. “If you don’t get the results, in a results-driven environment, you’re often replaced. I’m not unfamiliar with accountability.”