Brendon McCullum Sacked as England Test Coach, Stays on in White-Ball Role

Brendon McCullum has been removed as England's Test head coach, bringing an end to the four-year "Bazball" era in red-ball cricket. He remains in charge of England's white-ball setup, covering both ODIs and T20Is.

The call comes after a sharp dip in Test results, with England losing the Ashes 4-1 last winter and then falling 2-1 at home to New Zealand last month. Across his full four years in the Test job, McCullum's record reads 27 wins, 20 losses and 2 draws, with the recent slide including seven defeats in the last nine matches. Ben Stokes's shock retirement, announced mid-series against New Zealand, marked McCullum's final Test in the role.

McCullum said he was gutted to be stepping away from the Test side but respected the board's decision, adding that his focus now shifts fully to the white-ball teams. The timing is notable, with the news breaking just a day after his white-ball side completed a 4-0 T20I series sweep over India.

His white-ball tenure, which began in 2024, will continue through to the end of the 2027 ODI World Cup. England now return to a split-coaching setup, and the ECB has confirmed the hunt for a new Test coach is already underway ahead of next summer's Ashes, with former players including Andy Flower and Justin Langer among the names being discussed.