Hours after reports claimed that Brendon McCullum is all set to continue as England’s head coach in T20Is, the former New Zealand star has broken his silence on the side’s approach and the environment that he maintains. The ex-New Zealand cricketer’s tenure as the coach has come under scrutiny, with allegation being levelled on the team’s discipline and conduct, while performance has also been flagged. McCullum has however justified the existing team environment and stated that it gets the work done.
McCullum justifies approach despite England’s semi-final exit
As per BBC, McCullum stated that while England did have an informal setup, they were still quite successful. He said that players are allowed to be free in order to allow them to implement the skills and tactics they are trying to achieve.
“There’s probably a perception that we run a casual operation. It couldn’t be more further from the truth. We run an informal operation but the work is done, the preparation is put in place, there’s an environment which operates in a certain way, and because you are relaxed around that doesn’t mean that the work is not being done. That’s just an attitude to try and allow guys to be as free as possible to implement the skills and tactics that you’re trying to achieve,” McCullum said.
England’s white-ball captain Harry Brook has openly supported McCullum, describing him as one of the most influential figures in the dressing room.
“I’ve said plenty of times he’s the best head coach I’ve ever had,” Brook said. “The way he speaks to everybody, he’s got an aura in the dressing room. Everybody looks up to him and the things he did in the game as a player was unbelievable and he’s just carried that into his coaching. The things he’s done over the four years since he took over has changed English cricket for hopefully the best. One hundred and 25 per cent he should stay.”
McCullum sated that he isn’t sorry for the team environment, while hinting that the desired result has been achieved under the current setup.
“I make no apologies for running an informal, positive environment but to call it a casual environment is not quite fair,” the England head coach added.
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