New Zealand legend Brendon McCullum could be appointed as the new England coach later this week.
Follow Us
New Zealand legend Brendon McCullum is the front-runner for the next England head coach role, according to a report in mirror.co.uk. The development comes after former India head coach Gary Kirsten was touted as the favourite for the red-ball coaching position while McCullum was discussed to take up the role for white-ball cricket due to his experience in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as Kolkata Knight Riders’ head coach.
READ MORE: Tim Paine sexting scandal: Accuser probed over her ‘pub jobs’ in Melbourne
However, the ex-fierce opener, had also represented his national team in the longest format of the game for 101 times and his prowess could not be ignored. McCullum, moreover, shares a good rapport with England white-ball captain Eoin Morgan and has a strong influence on new managing director Rob Key too. “Actually I’ve spoken to Eoin about red-ball cricket as well, not saying that he’s going to be captain, but I asked his opinion. I said you want good people with good brains around you to work stuff out, so Eoin Morgan is someone I would speak to about so many different things.”
The role could see McCullum unite with the new England Test captain Ben Stokes who recently took over the role after Joe Root stepped down. Stokes shared his first thoughts on being appointed to the role and mentioned that Root will remain a key part of the leadership group for the England Test squad going forward. “I am honoured to be given the chance to lead the England Test team. This is a real privilege, and I’m excited about getting started this summer.
“I want to thank Joe (Root) for everything he has done for English Cricket and for always being a great ambassador for the sport all across the world. He has been a massive part of my development as a leader in the dressing room, and he will continue to be a key ally for me in this role.”
Stokes made his Test debut in December 2013 and has represented his country on 79 occasions at this level. He was named vice-captain in February 2017 and also stood in as captain when Root was absent for the birth of his second child in the summer of 2020. The Durham star currently has 5,061 Test runs at an average of 35.89. He has taken 174 wickets with the ball and is amongst the best all-rounders in the world.
