England to review Brendon McCullum’s position following Ashes setback

England coach Brendon McCullum is facing mounting pressure. Before their victory in the fourth Test in Melbourne, England were defeated by 82 runs in the third Ashes Test, which gave Australia a commanding 3-0 lead and and the host won the series in just 11 days. The loss in the third Test stretched England‘s winless run in Australia to 18 matches, with just two draws, raising doubts about the “Bazball” approach that had once given them hope of an upset in the series.

Naturally, there are growing concerns about whether McCullum is the right person for the role. According to the Daily Mail, Richard Gould, the chief executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), has arrived in Sydney ahead of the fifth Ashes Test. He will meet with ECB chairman Richard Thompson to assess the reasons behind England’s recent defeat. The report also mentioned that no harsh decisions will be made, especially with the T20 World Cup scheduled to begin in the first week of February.

After an encouraging start, England have struggled in recent times . Since the beginning of 2024, the team has suffered 13 losses in Test matches, with only 12 victories to their name. This has resulted in a record of 25 wins and 17 defeats out of 44 matches under the leadership of McCullum and captain Ben Stokes. Their recent Ashes defeat also highlights that they have failed to secure a win in a five-match series in four attempts under their tenure.

McCullum confessed that he was uncertain about what lies ahead but emphasized his wish to continue with what he considered “a pretty good gig.”

When questioned about leading the Test team at the beginning of the 2026 English summer, McCullum responded “I don’t know. It’s not really my decision, is it?”

McCullum revealed that he intends to stay focused on executing his responsibilities, drawing lessons from previous mistakes, and making the required tweaks, without getting distracted by future uncertainties. He enjoys the thrill of coaching, the camaraderie of traveling with the squad, the excitement of aggressive cricket, and his mission to push his players to their full potential.

“I’ll continue doing my best, learning from the areas where we haven’t quite succeeded, and making the necessary adjustments. Those questions are for someone else to answer, not me. It’s a great job, and it’s a lot of fun. You get to travel the world with the team, play exciting cricket, and aim for great accomplishments. For me, it’s all about getting the best out of the players and striving to achieve as much as possible with them,” McCullum added.