Brendon McCullum respects England Test exit after four years

Brendon McCullum‘s four-year tenure as England Test head coach came to an end on Sunday, July 12, 2026, and the former New Zealand captain has apologised to fans while committing to ongoing conversations with his successor. McCullum said he had absolutely loved coaching the Test side and was incredibly proud of what they achieved together, acknowledging both the unbelievable highs and a few tough days, which he called part of the challenge.

McCullum took over in 2022 and won 10 of his first 11 Tests in charge, transforming England’s Test cricket through the aggressive style branded as Bazball alongside captain Ben Stokes. But England endured a disappointing Ashes tour of Australia, suffering a 4-1 series defeat, followed by another setback as they lost their Test series against New Zealand 2-1. McCullum finished with a Test coaching record of 27 wins, two draws and 20 defeats, with England losing seven of their final nine Test matches.

“I was disappointed initially but at the same time, it’s a results business. We didn’t get the results we wanted, and I’ll wear that. Fundamentally, it was a tap on the shoulder, and you crack on.” said McCullum as quoted by Sky Sports.

He added that while he had loved his time over four years in cricket, he was sorry the team couldn’t get the results everyone wanted. McCullum praised his side’s commitment to attacking cricket but acknowledged the philosophy didn’t translate into success in the big series.

Will McCullum maintain regular dialogue with England’s next Test head coach?

McCullum confirmed he would stay closely connected with whoever replaces him in the red-ball setup.

“Of course I’m gutted not to be continuing, but I respect the decision. My focus now is on giving everything I’ve got to the white-ball teams and helping England keep moving forward… I wish the Test team nothing but success,” said McCullum.

McCullum remains in charge of the England white-ball teams after a successful spell that saw England reach the semi-finals of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and recently climb to number one in the ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings. The next series against Pakistan starts on August 19, and the ECB is now searching for a replacement Test coach. Richard Gould, ECB CEO, said McCullum breathed new life into England’s Test team during an exciting period which saw some amazing victories.

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