Brendon McCullum apologises to England fans after Test coaching departure

By Rohan Gupta — 14 July 2026 — 4 min read

Brendon McCullum has issued an apology to England fans following his removal as the team’s Test coach. He acknowledged that the team’s performance did not meet expectations under his leadership. While McCullum will continue in his role as England‘s white-ball coach, his tenure as Test coach, which began in 2022, has concluded.

Speaking at Edgbaston, McCullum confirmed that the decision to remove him came from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). He stated, “I was disappointed but at the same time I fully respect the decision. We’re in a results business and fundamentally our results weren’t good enough. It’s time for someone else to have a go.”

McCullum’s coaching record in Tests included 27 wins, two draws, and 20 defeats. He took full responsibility for the team’s inability to secure victories in major series, particularly against India and Australia, expressing, “We just weren’t quite able to win those big series, against India and Australia. For that I guess I can only say sorry.”

McCullum’s leadership and the ‘Bazball’ approach

McCullum accepted accountability for both the team’s culture and its performances. He highlighted his role as the leader, responsible for the team culturally, tactically, and in terms of results. He recognised that in a results-driven environment, a change is necessary when outcomes are not satisfactory.

During his time as Test coach, McCullum, alongside captain Ben Stokes, introduced an aggressive style of play known as ‘Bazball’. This approach aimed to transform England‘s Test cricket, encouraging fearless and attacking play. Initially, this strategy yielded positive results, with England winning 10 of McCullum‘s first 11 Tests and climbing to second in the ICC rankings.

The ‘Bazball’ philosophy, which entered the Collins dictionary by November 2023, saw England achieve a 55 per cent win rate, with 27 wins in 49 Tests. Early successes included a clean sweep against New Zealand at home, a victory against India at Birmingham, and series wins against Pakistan and New Zealand.

Challenges against top teams

Despite initial success, the aggressive approach faced challenges when confronted with elite opposition. The 2023 Ashes series at home revealed vulnerabilities, with Australia‘s pace attack exposing weaknesses in England‘s strategy. Although England fought back to draw the series 2-2, Australia retained the Urn, indicating that ‘Bazball’ could be vulnerable against top-tier pace bowling.

Further difficulties arose during away series. In early 2024, England lost 1-4 to India, despite winning the first Test in Hyderabad. The aggressive batting approach was systematically dismantled by Ravichandran Ashwin. Similarly, a tour of Pakistan saw England lose matches after winning the first Test, with spin-friendly pitches proving challenging for their attacking style.

The 2025 home series against India also saw England draw 2-2, with India performing strongly on pitches prepared by England. The final verdict on ‘Bazball’ came during a pink ball Test in Australia, where England lost the series 1-4, and Australia retained the Urn.

Against India and Australia combined, England won four Tests and lost eleven during McCullum’s tenure. The series records against these teams included a 1-4 loss in India, a 2-2 draw at home against India, a 2-2 draw in the home Ashes, and a 1-4 loss away. The 55 per cent win rate was largely attributed to victories against lower-ranked teams at home, with the win rate collapsing against strong bowling attacks away from home.

An emotional departure

McCullum reflected on his departure, noting a sense of fitting timing as it occurred shortly after Ben Stokes retired from the Test format. He mentioned receiving messages from Stokes after the news of his removal. McCullum commented on the shared journey, stating, “I guess, in a romantic kind of way there’s something about Stokesy and me going out together. We started it together and we go out together, and I have no problem with that.”

England‘s results had declined in the latter part of McCullum’s tenure, with the team losing seven of their last nine Tests. This included a 2-1 home series defeat to New Zealand last month, which coincided with Stokes‘ retirement from Test cricket.