Despite presiding over another damaging Ashes defeat in Australia, Brendon McCullum insisted he was the right man to lead England forward, although the head coach admitted he was unsure whether he would still be in charge of the Test team next summer.
England lost the third Test by 82 runs, leading Australia 3–0, allowing the hosts to retain the Ashes after 11 days.
The defeat extended Australia’s winless streak to 18 Tests – with only two draws – and was a significant blow to the much-vaunted “baseball” philosophy, which saw hopes of a shock England upset.
Speaking after the match, England captain Ben Stokes reaffirmed his commitment to the role, while admitting his side had been “bad” throughout the tournament.
Much of the criticism has focused on England’s preparation for the series, which includes a three-day warm-up against the England Lions at Lilac Hill.
Concerns have been raised about England’s inappropriateness and hands-off training approach to Australian conditions.
After an encouraging start following his appointment in the summer of 2022, England’s results have declined.
Since the start of 2024, England have lost 13 Tests and won 12, with McCullum and Stokes having a combined record of 25 wins and 17 losses from 44 matches.
The current Ashes slump means England have now failed to win the five-match Test series under McCullum in four attempts.
Earlier this year, McCullum’s contract was extended until 2027 by managing director Rob Key, a deal that saw him take charge of England’s white-ball teams.
Any decision with the New Zealanders would reportedly cost the England and Wales Cricket Board more than £1 million.
Despite the mounting pressure, McCullum said he was keen to continue in the role, although admitted uncertainty about his long-term future.
“I don’t know,” McCullum said when asked if he would still be Test coach at the start of the 2026 English summer. “It’s not really for me.
“I’ll keep trying to get the job done, learn the lessons we don’t get here and make some adjustments. Those are questions for someone else.
“It’s a good show. You travel the world, play exciting cricket and get the best out of people. I think we’ve improved since I took over. We’re not the finished article, but we’ve definitely improved and developed an identity.
“Now it’s about showing that mark in the last two Tests and trying to salvage something from this series.”
England traveled to Melbourne on Monday ahead of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
McCullum ruled out calling for reinforcements from outside the squad, although changes are expected, with Jacob Bethel and Matthew Potts in contention to replace Ollie Pope and Brayden Garse.
With the Ashes already out of reach, England have two more chances to end their long wait for a Test win in Australia. Their last win came in 2011 during the historic 2010-11 Ashes series in Sydney.
Encouraged by a very competitive display in Adelaide, McCullum believes England can take more positives from the remaining matches.
“It’s going to sting,” he said. “But we know we’ve got a job in Melbourne and Sydney. If we can find a way to win one of the next two Tests, it will mean something.”