England coach Brendon McCullum said that he would like to carry on as England coach despite his side’s exit from the T20 World Cup 2026. England were beaten by India in the semi-final in a thrilling encounter that saw them lose the game by just seven runs. Jacob Bethell almost carried them home with his hundred, but in the end, the hosts were able to hold on and get the win.
IND vs ENG T20 WORLD CUP 2026: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
The tournament ended a tough winter period for England, that saw them get thrashed by Australia in the Ashes 4-1. The series also saw England’s dressing room culture get questioned, and a thorough review get launched by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), where the positions of Rob Key and McCullum were put under the scanner.
Speaking to Sky Sports, McCullum reiterated that he loves the England job and there is still a lot to achieve with the team. The former New Zealand captain, however, admitted that he will reflect on the past few months and see what is working and not for him and the team.
“Look, I love the job,” McCullum said. “I think it’s a great job. It doesn’t come without its challenges, of course, but that’s the nature of it. I feel like we’ve achieved some really cool things over the last few years, but there’s still so much to achieve with the side across all formats.”
“And I would love to carry on,” he added. “We’ll see what unfolds over the next little while. For now, after being on the road for a fair bit of time, it’s a matter of getting home and hopefully watching some fast horses and playing some shocking golf, and it’s taking a bit of time to reflect.
“As you always do, when you’re a player, when you’re a captain and as you are as a coach, you let things land, you try and then objectively look at what is working, what isn’t working, and what things you need to ensure you try and rectify.”
‘WE DIDN’T PLAY OUR STYLE IN AUSTRALIA’
McCullum is contracted with the England team until the end of 2027, which ideally should see him as the coach for the ODI World Cup in 2027 and a home Ashes. When it came to the analysis of the series against the Aussies, the England coach said his side went away from the Bazball mantra that made them so successful during his tenure.
McCullum also credited Harry Brook for bringing a new identity to the white-ball side, especially after the tricky Ashes period.
“Yeah, it’s been busy, hasn’t it?” McCullum told Sky Sports. “There’s been a bit going on across different formats, but I think the white-ball side has been exceptional in the post-Ashes period. We’ve played some good cricket, and it’s got a real identity about it as well under Brookie’s captaincy.”
“Obviously the Test winter was disappointing. We went to Australia with high hopes and we weren’t able to deliver, and that’s something that you’ve got to look and say, ‘what are the things that you need to improve?’
“Did we play the style of play that we took down to Australia or did we not? If we’ve been honest with ourselves, I’d probably say we didn’t. And that’s something that we need to have a good hard conversation around. What is the direction, or style, that we’re wanting to be consistent with?”
The ECB will aim to complete the review of the team’s performance as their next assignment will be the Test series against New Zealand in June.
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