Brendon McCullum’s appointment as England men’s Test coach has been met with a largely positive response among expert pundits, with former England captain Michael Atherton terming it “an inspired pick.”
McCullum – the former New Zealand captain – moved to coaching after his retirement from all cricket in 2019. He’s currently coaching the Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2022.
McCullum emerged as a late candidate in the race for the coveted role in England, leapfrogging several notable names to clinch the Test head coach role. Reports linking him to the role emerged earlier this week, and by Thursday, the deal was finalised and announced.
Michael Atherton, writing in The Times, dubbed McCullum the “anti-Chris Silverwood” and said that the decision had “a lot of logic”.
“It is not hard to see why Key, with England at a troubled and low ebb, has turned to a man who had helped revived a team in a similar situation before,” Atherton wrote. “The decision has a lot of logic.”
“In his first major appointment — making Stokes captain was such a formality as to be no decision at all — Key could not have signalled his intention any more clearly to move away from what has characterised the past two years. As is often the way, Key has chosen someone cut from a very different cloth to what went before; McCullum is the anti-Chris Silverwood.
“The identity of the captain is crucial here of course. Stokes and McCullum share similar beliefs about the game and will work to a familiar script. ‘There is one absolute truth about the captain/coach dynamic; it’s imperative they are on the same page,’ Key wrote in his autobiography, dwelling on some of the successful (Michael Vaughan/Duncan Fletcher) and unsuccessful (Fletcher and Andrew Flintoff) partnerships that he had seen. He has selected McCullum very much with Stokes in mind. It could be an inspired pick.”
Atherton’s views were echoed by Jim Maxwell on BBC World Service’s Stumped, who called it a “tantalising” move, saying it was “potentially one of the best things to have happened in English cricket”.
“In 140 years of Test cricket it’s got to be the most exciting thing England have done in terms of appointments,” Maxwell said. “He’s still going to need the personnel to deliver but it’s tantalising, it’s exciting and English fans should be relishing having Stokes and McCullum, two of the most dynamic and inspirational people, in charge. This is potentially one of the best things to have happened in English cricket.”
Mark Ramprakash, on BBC Radio 4, felt that it was “thinking outside the box”, but will tactically require a “little bit of meat on the bone” as England look to bounce back in the post-Joe Root era.
“McCullum’s lack of experience means this is thinking outside the box but Key must feel he has the personality to help inspire the Test side,” said Ramprakash. “McCullum always talks about wanting to take the positive option, but he will need to have a little bit more meat on the bone, in terms of tactics, for England’s Test side. It will be McCullum’s job, along with Stokes, to find some continuity and get the team playing better cricket.”
