England coach Brendon McCullum has clarified his viral comment about the team being “overprepared” after the Brisbane Ashes Test defeat, insisting the comment was never a criticism of his players but a conscious attempt to protect them and take responsibility himself.
Speaking ahead of the third Test, McCullum said his overly prepared commentary it was about managing the team’s mindset after a loss during the long break between games.
“Yeah, there are a few elements to it,” McCullum said. “First of all, what you say to your dressing room is you try to assess where the team is at the end of a Test match and at the end of a loss knowing you’ve got nine days before you have to get back into the arena. So the message for the guys is always about trying to move the focus forward.
“You try to push it forward so your confidence doesn’t drop. Because if they do, you have no chance. Absolutely no chance. So what you say to them and what you say in the media can be quite different.”
McCullum reiterated that the “over-prepared” comment was aimed squarely at him and the group’s management, not the team’s commitment or work ethic. He framed it as an issue of balance rather than effort.
“You’ve got to be fresh mentally. You’ve got to be fresh physically. And five intense sessions after a tough defeat (in Perth) I don’t think necessarily gave us the best chance,” he said. “And I’ll wear it. I’ll be happy to wear it as a leader. It’s best to focus on me, not others.”
The England coach explained what he meant by that, stressing that intensity alone does not guarantee results, especially in Australian conditions.
“When it comes to over-preparation, it’s not about working the hardest. Working the hardest doesn’t guarantee you success. Working the longest doesn’t guarantee you success,” McCullum said. “What I meant by over-prepared was that we had five intense practices. In my opinion, we left almost a fraction less in terms of our energy and our ability to play what was in front of us, which required a completely different game in that goal than necessarily what your practice needs.”
Adaptability, he argued, is essential on Australian pitches, where conditions can change quickly and require decisions to be made on the spot.
“You have to think on your feet. You have to be able to maneuver your game. You have to be able to identify risk,” McCullum said. “If you over-prepare or train based on how many balls you hit on the actual surface, it can leave you a little bit off-prepared at that point. There’s no such thing as perfect preparation. It doesn’t work that way, but I think when you go into the game, you need a head start.”
Asked if his own position would come under scrutiny if England failed to stage a comeback, McCullum was characteristically undeterred.
“I don’t know, but it doesn’t really bother me to be honest,” he said. “You believe in what you’re doing and whatever happens, happens. I definitely don’t coach to protect a job. I coach to get the best out of people and that’s the same with captaincy.”
Despite the 2-0 series loss, McCullum insisted the faith in the dressing room remained intact and pointed to the upcoming Adelaide Test as an opportunity to reset.
“Now, if anything, we need to get rid of some of the things that we’re not quite right, this is probably more in tune with our best style of cricket,” he said. “Yes, of course we’re 2-0 down, we made it difficult, but that doesn’t stop the belief you have in the dressing room.
“The conditions here in Adelaide will be quite different. (We’ve) just got to be a bit more calculated when we get the opportunity to put our foot on the neck.”
Given England’s performances so far, McCullum was honest in his assessment, but with a forward-looking tone.
“I don’t think we’re anywhere near our best yet. What’s been is been,” he said. “For us now, it’s not a question of fighting the war that was, it’s focusing on the one that’s coming.”
He stressed that England would not abandon their wider philosophy despite early setbacks.
“We will remain committed to what we are doing. I firmly believe that if we play our best cricket, we have a huge chance in this Test match,” McCullum said. “If we do that, then the narrative will change and the dynamic of the series will change, but everything is ahead of us to achieve in the next few days.”
McCullum concluded by stressing that belief in the plan remains strong even with Australia holding the first advantage.
“We came here with high hopes and high expectations. We haven’t quite lived up to it yet and Australia are getting those key moments and that’s why they’re 2-0 up,” he said. “That doesn’t mean we’re going to throw out the plan.
– The end
Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
December 15, 2025
