Despite another bruising Ashes tour in Australia, Brendon McCullum remains adamant he wants to continue as England head coach, insisting the team has made progress even as the latest defeat threatens to destroy the Bazball project’s greatest promise.
Australia’s 82-run victory in the third Test sealed an unassailable 3-0 lead in 11 days in Adelaide and kept the urn with two games to play. It extended England’s dismal Ashes Down Under record of 18 matches without a win, managing just two draws in that stretch. For a side that arrived confident of springing a surprise, the speed and scale of the collapse was sobering.
Speaking after the defeat, McCullum was clear about his desire to stay, although he admitted uncertainty over whether he would still be in charge when England’s domestic summer begins.
“Yeah, it’s a pretty good gig,” McCullum said. “It’s good fun. You’re traveling the world with the lads and trying to play some exciting cricket and trying to achieve some things.”
“I’ve enjoyed the time I’ve had with these guys and I think we’ve made some progress since I took over to where we are. We’re not the finished product but I think we’ve definitely improved as a cricket team. We’ve had an identity about us.”
“Now it’s time for us to really show that identity in the last two Tests and try to salvage something from it.”
The defeat marked the fourth consecutive Ashes tour of Australia in which England were effectively eliminated after three Tests. Traditionally, such losses prompt sweeping changes, but both McCullum and captain Ben Stokes have publicly stated their intention to continue. Both are under contract until 2027 and Stokes, despite describing his side’s performances as “poor”, reaffirmed his commitment to the captaincy.
Much of the criticism focused on England’s preparation. The tourists played just one three-day warm-up match against the England Lions at Lilac Hill before the opening Test in Perth, a decision that has since been thoroughly scrutinized.
McCullum acknowledged that the build-up might not have been right.
“Ultimately, you are responsible for how you prepare your side and how you prepare it,” he said. “We were confident in our methods in terms of preparation, not just leading up to the first Test but between Tests as well.
“I look back now and think, did we need more of a lead in the first and did we need less of a lead in the second? We came back 3-0 down so you’d probably say there was room for change.”
“You put your hand up as a coach and said maybe you don’t have the right. Sitting here 3-0, it didn’t work.”
Still, McCullum was adamant that England’s aggressive philosophy would not be abandoned.
“For the last couple of years, we’ve had a team that understands how we go in that style and we’ve put that team together based on the level of skill, talent and the style of cricket that we play,” he said. “That won’t change while I’m still on the job.
McCullum’s position is further complicated by his expanded role. He took over as England’s white-ball coach following the departure of Matthew Mott earlier this year and is set to lead the team at the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka in February.
When asked if he would still be Test coach by the time England take on New Zealand in the three-match home series in June, McCullum was candid.
“I don’t know, it doesn’t really matter to me, does it?” he said. “You just keep trying to do the job, try to learn the lessons you didn’t quite grasp here, and try to make some adjustments. Those questions are for someone else.”
Those questions are likely to land with England chief executive Rob Key, who is due to address the media in Melbourne.
– The end
Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
December 22, 2025
