England name Brendon McCullum as its new white ball coach, stint set to begin next year

After months of speculation, it has been confirmed that Brendon McCullum is the new white ball coach of England. The former New Zealand skipper is already the coach of the England Test side. Since the arrival of Brendon McCullum the England Test team has seen the ‘Baz-Ball’ era come into play. 

Brendon McCullum will not start his stint as the new England white ball coach till 2025. His first series will be the away tour of India which is to be played in January 2025. This will be followed by the ICC Champions Trophy which will be played in February next year. 

The former Kiwi skipper has inked a deal for three years which will see him most likely take charge till the 2027 ODI World Cup. Marcus Trescothick will be the stand-in coach for the next few assignments after replacing Matthew Mott. Under Mott, the English side saw their defence of their ODI and T20 titles end in the first rounds. 

Brendon McCullum and Rob Key react to the news 

Moments after he was appointed the new white ball coach of England, Brendon McCullum spoke to the media. The England coach said, “I've thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Test team, and I'm excited to extend my role to include the white-ball sides."

The former Kiwi skipper also said, “This new challenge is something I'm ready to embrace, and I'm eager to work closely with Jos and the team to build on the strong foundations that are already in place."

It was reported that Ricky Ponting and Kumara Sangakkara were the front runners for the England coaching job. The former Australian skipper pulled himself out of the race weeks after ending his association with IPL side Delhi Capitals. 

Former England star Rob Key who is now the director of England cricket said, "I'm delighted that Brendon has chosen to do both roles now with England.  believe we are incredibly fortunate that a coach of his quality is prepared to commit wholeheartedly to English cricket. Being able to align all teams now is particularly exciting and we look forward to taking on all challenges that come our way.”

Rob Key also said, “For the last two years, constant clashes between formats have made it challenging for the white-ball environment; fortunately, these are easing starting from January. The timing of the schedule [from January] will allow him to dedicate the necessary focus to both roles, and we're confident this restructure will bring out the best in our players and coaching staff."

Brendon McCullum also said, “Rob Key's vision for the future of English cricket is something that really resonated with me. The idea of a unified coaching structure, especially with the schedule easing next year, made perfect sense. I'm energised by the prospect of guiding both teams and am grateful for the support from the ECB and my family as I take on these added responsibilities. My goal is to create an environment where everyone can thrive and where we can continue to compete at the highest level across all formats."