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Brendon McCullum has defended his record as head coach after England’s elimination from the T20 World Cup, insisting the white-ball side will “achieve some special stuff”, but only if their talent is “harnessed the right way”.
The Guardian revealed on Friday that McCullum is to remain in his post despite the disappointment of a 4-1 Ashes series defeat, England’s semi-finals exit and widespread criticism of the New Zealander’s methods.
The perception that the coach has fostered an environment that is more focused on golf and fun than on elite performance has been particularly damaging, but before leaving India the 44-year-old insisted that impression of his tenure was inaccurate.
“It’s never been about that,” he said. “That’s a perception which is not necessarily reality. I think there’s a perception that we run a casual operation. It couldn’t be further from the truth. We run an informal operation but the work is done, the preparation is put in place.
“There’s an environment which operates in a certain way, but because you are relaxed around that doesn’t mean the work is not being done. That’s just an attitude to try and allow guys to be as free as possible to implement the skills and tactics that you’re trying to achieve. Look, I make no apologies for running an informal, positive environment, but to call it a casual environment is not fair.”
McCullum singled out Harry Brook for particular praise after his first senior tournament as captain. “I’m incredibly proud of him. He’s grown immensely in the last couple of months under difficult circumstances,” he said. “There’s a real identity to how Harry Brook’s England white-ball side is going to play. It’s hugely encouraging because a couple of months ago you probably didn’t have that. He has done an amazing job.”
On Thursday, England lost an extraordinary semi-final to India, the highest-scoring game in the tournament’s history, by seven runs. Though they reached the last four with a 100% record in the Super 8s, the tournament featured defeat by West Indies and awkward encounters with Scotland, Italy and Nepal.
“You want to be a team which is hard to be beaten and I thought we were throughout the tournament,” McCullum said. “Even though we haven’t necessarily played our perfect game, we’ve found ways to win and that’s a good sign. I’m disappointed to be out of the tournament but there’s a lot to look forward to and a lot to be proud of.
“From a coaching point of view, you look at how the team’s grown over the last six weeks or so, starting in Sri Lanka with a one-day series win and then on to sweeping a good Sri Lankan side [in a three-game T20 series] in spinning conditions in their own country. Then to come here, we had some delicate moments early in the tournament in games you’re expected to win but again we found ways to win, and that’s always pleasing as a coach.
“We’ve seen some guys really grow, and you look at the age of some of the guys that performed well in this tournament and what they could achieve over the coming seven or eight years, it’s pretty exciting. You’ve got some incredible talent, and if it’s harnessed the right way then this team can achieve some special stuff in the next little while.”
McCullum was appointed England’s red-ball coach in May 2022, with the white-ball job added to his portfolio in September 2024. Though the Test side have won 26 and lost 18 of their games under him, they have not won a series against either India or Australia, or reached a white-ball final. He will spend much of the next few months in his native New Zealand before England’s next outing, the first of three Tests against his homeland in early June.
“During the last three and a half years that I’ve been involved in English cricket we’ve achieved some really good stuff,” he said. “Yes, we haven’t quite managed to achieve everything we wanted, but I feel like we’ve got some room to be able to improve, and a couple of tweaks here and there and I think English cricket is in a position where over the next few years it could continue to improve and achieve exactly what it wants to achieve.”
English (US)