The ECB announced on Tuesday (September 3) that Brendon McCullum would take over as coach of England men's white-ball teams, in addition to his role as coach of the Test team. Here's what his white-ball coaching career looks like.
McCullum, who has been England’s coach in the longest format from July 2022, and has revolutionised their approach with the phenomenon of ‘Bazball’ has also been given the duties in the shorter formats.
He will assume the role in the shorter formats from January 2025, with his immediate focus being on the white-ball tour of India followed by the Champions Trophy.
Much like when he took over the coaching job in Test cricket, England’s T20I and ODI set-ups are in massive need of an overhaul. England failed to advance to the semi-finals of the ODI World Cup last year and barely scraped through to make the top four in the T20 World Cup this year. With scrutiny over the leadership skills of Jos Buttler as well, McCullum will have to chalk out a definite plan on how to bring back the glory days that the team attained under the captaincy of Eoin Morgan.
More: Jos Buttler injury doubt for Australia T20Is after pulling out of T20 Blast quarter-final
However, he does not have plenty of prior experience, with only a brief stint as a T20 coach for two franchise teams behind him. He has never coached a white-ball international team in the past. However, that should not be a deterrent for McCullum, who also took up England’s coaching role in Test cricket having never dabbled in the format before.
Brendon McCullum’s coaching record: How many teams has England’s new white-ball coach been in charge of before?
Trinbago Knight Riders
McCullum was named the head coach of the Caribbean Premier League team Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) in August 2019, ten days after announcing his professional retirement. He took over from Australian Simon Katich, returning to a franchise he had played for previously, between 2016 and 2018.
In his first season as coach in any form of cricket, TKR finished fourth in the six-team competition. They had won back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018 but failed to advance beyond the Eliminator in 2019.
The next year, TKR saw a massive turnaround, winning all 12 of their games in the CPL, including a convincing eight-wicket win in the final.
McCullum's role with the team ended after he made himself unavailable for the 2021 CPL due to Covid-19-related travel restrictions, and was replaced by Imran Jan.
Bangladesh are up to fourth in the WTC 2023-25 points table after their famous series win in Pakistan! ⬆️
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) September 3, 2024
How realistic are their chances of making the final?
Read ➡️ https://t.co/a2Oty9KvXf pic.twitter.com/CmpKbzlYCb
Kolkata Knight Riders
McCullum was named IPL team KKR’s head coach the same day he was named Trinbago’s coach. Yet again, it was a team he had played for before, with the highlight being an unbeaten 158 that kickstarted the IPL back in 2008. Unlike TKR, though, McCullum faced a harder time with Kolkata.
Inconsistent results in his first season with the side, in 2020, meant he had to replace skipper Dinesh Karthik with Eoin Morgan mid-way through the season. KKR finished fifth that year, missing out on the playoffs due to net run rate.
The next year, KKR had a disastrous start, winning just five games in their first seven matches before the tournament was halted due to Covid-19. After the IPL resumed in the UAE, KKR were on a roll, winning seven of their last nine games to reach the final. However, they fell to Chennai Super Kings in the summit clash.
Next year, also the mega-auction year, KKR brought in Shreyas Iyer to lead the team. The franchise struggled again, winning six games and ending up in the seventh spot. Midway through the season, McCullum had been announced as England’s new head coach in Test cricket. He was replaced at KKR the following season by Chandrakant Pandit.
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.
