​The England Test players with the most to lose after Brendon McCullum’s exit: Who stays and who could make way originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.KEY TAKEAWAYS:Brendon McCullum sacked as England Test coach; Andy Flower emerges as favourite replacement.Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith and Jacob Bethell must perform or perish.New coach might not hand them a bigger safety net.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBrendon McCullum’s removal as England’s Test head coach has thrown open a genuine leadership vacuum for the England and Wales Cricket Board, arriving at the worst possible moment with a home Ashes series looming next summer.McCullum walked into the role back in 2022 and transformed England’s fortunes almost overnight, winning 11 of his opening 13 matches and reviving a team that had lost its way. But that early magic faded considerably, capped off by a bruising 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia and a wretched stretch of eight losses in the last 12 Tests.That slide, worsened by a shock home series loss to New Zealand and captain Ben Stokes’ sudden retirement from international cricket weeks earlier, ultimately proved too much for the ECB to overlook.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMORE: DK reveals if Flower will leave RCB to join England Test sideMcCullum remains in charge of England’s white-ball sides, having just overseen a commanding 4-0 series win over India and a return to the top of the T20I rankings, but the red-ball job now needs an entirely new voice.Zimbabwean coaching great Andy Flower has quickly emerged as the frontrunner to take charge, according to multiple reports, having previously guided England to the world number one Test ranking and a famous Ashes win in Australia back in 2010-11.His tenure eventually unravelled amid tensions with Kevin Pietersen and a chastening 5-0 Ashes whitewash in 2013-14, but Flower has since rebuilt his reputation through successful stints in franchise cricket, most notably leading Royal Challengers Bengaluru to IPL glory, a run that’s earned him renewed admiration from voices like former England captain Nasser Hussain.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMORE: Flower can be England Test team’s Tuchel: VaughanAmong the players whose futures now look shakier is opener Ben Duckett, arguably the batter who benefited most from McCullum’s aggressive philosophy after being largely overlooked in the Test setup before his arrival.Duckett burst onto the scene playing without fear, regularly taking games away from the opposition inside a single session. However, plenty of critics started wondering out loud whether all that aggression was costing him his wicket more often than it should.The numbers paint a fairly split picture. Across ten Tests in 2025, he put together 735 runs, averaging just north of 40, a strike rate that looked great on paper, but an average that’s not exactly eye-catching by the usual standards Test batters get judged on.Advert