IPL team KKR has bid goodbye to their head coach Brendon McCullum. McCullum will now begin his journey as the new England Test coach. An official announcement came to light regarding the same in early May. The 40-year-old has a big task in his hands. McCullum played Test Cricket for NZ from 2004 to 2016. He is known to bring about a cultural change in Tests. He’ll look to replicate it in his new job. Also, his final test saw him score the fastest Test century.
However, he has no experience in coaching in this format. The decision to make him coach was a surprise move. Furthermore, the ECB is calling it a calculated gamble.
Notably, McCullum was previously the coach of the IPL team KKR. His side had a disappointing season in 2022. They failed to qualify for the playoffs. We’ll bring you all the news from his new job role.
Also read Sachin Tendulkar’s IPL 2022 Team Of The Season: Big Names Out!
McCullum becomes England Test coach: Did a KKR controversy lead to this?
KKR finished 7th in the IPL 2022. Although, they started the season positively with three wins out of four. But, they could not hold onto that kind of display. Also, the results did not go their way. One of the reasons for this was their inconsistent team selection.
KKR Team management. KKR CEO Venky Mysore sits to the immediate right of McCullum.
The news of McCullum becoming England Test coach has come as a blow to them. However, it could be a problem of their own making. In an IPL interview, the KKR captain sparked controversy with his assessment of the selection problem. He said that the franchise’s CEO also gets involved in the team selection. Besides, it came on the back of a match that saw the side making five changes. Ideally, the captain and the head coach are a part of the team selection.
Will this gamble work out?
The newly appointed England Test captain Ben Stokes with McCullum, back during his playing days.
Brendon McCullum will be guiding England into a new era in Test cricket. Joe Root stepped down as the Test captain after five years in charge. Besides, his spell came to a disappointing end with one win in the last 17 tests. The new boss will be hoping to correct that form. His new captain is going to be talented all-rounder Ben Stokes. Stokes is already heaping praises about his new coach.
McCullum’s first assignment is a Lord’s Test match against New Zealand. The first of the three-match series starts today.
