McCullum Embraces England ‘Evolution’ but Wants to Keep Control Over Team Methods

Brendon McCullum is under pressure, as England lost the Ashes series quite badly against Australia. With calls growing to replace him as head coach, England’s management has not made any decision yet. The board has, however, announced a review to assess the entire tour. They will review everything carefully before deciding, as the management wants to avoid a knee-jerk reaction.

Speaking to the media about how McCullum plans to move forward, he said that his belief in precise methods has not diminished, but he is open to trying a few changes. He added that evolution in every sport is necessary, however, it does not mean that a leader should lose control or influence over core areas.

"Whatever you do in life, I think you have to have some authenticity. For me in the job as coach, when you're trying to guide and shepherd and assist players, you need to have an influence over how the environment runs. And to be in charge of a lot of those decisions that are made when the pressure's on.” said Brendon McCullum while speaking to the media.

"So, as long as that remains, I'm open to progress, I'm open to evolution and some nipping and tucking. But without being ultimately able to steer the ship maybe there is someone better.” added Brendon McCullum.

The England head coach added that he still has a strong conviction in certain methods, but that does not mean he is against evolution. He is open to tweaking things slightly, but not making any drastic overhauls.

"It depends what changes, right? I've a firm conviction in a lot of my methods. I'm not against evolution and not against progress. I encourage that across all sports, not just cricket. And all aspects of life as well. So I'm not against that.” said Brendon McCullum.

"However, you need to stand for something. You need to believe in your methods and you need to believe in how you go about things. It depends on what changes." added Brendon McCullum.

Brendon McCullum Keen to Continue as England Head Coach

Even after losing the Ashes by a disappointing margin of 4-1, Brendon McCullum still believes he is the right man for the job. However, he also acknowledges that the final decision is not in his hands, as the upper management will decide what’s best for English cricket.

"When I took this job, I didn't take it for any other reason than I thought I could help and that hasn't changed. I believe I can help.” said Brendon McCullum.

"I'm keen to carry on in the job. I think there's some exciting talent which sits within the game. I think the progress we've made has been pretty good. It's not necessarily at the level we want it to be, but it's been pretty good from when we took over.” added Brendon McCullum.

He then reminded everyone of the core objective behind taking up the England coaching role. It was purely based on the idea of improving English cricket, as the talent within the country is immense. He also said that his team has gained the trust of fans, as the methods utilized by the current group have brought a new life to test cricket.

"Remember, when we did take over, look at the exciting opportunity that's there for English cricket: the talent, the resource, the fan base and the history within English cricket. Think of the challenges that Test cricket, in particular, has faced from franchise cricket around the world.” said Brendon McCullum.

“You think about, how do you continue to ensure that Test cricket is really relevant? I think fans have turned up and the way that people support this cricket team is testament to that, and I think over the last few years, we've played some very good cricket.” concluded Brendon McCullum.