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Brendon McCullum is reportedly set to be sacked as England’s Test head coach, with an official announcement expected to be made soon by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
However, there is still a possibility that McCullum could remain the head coach of England’s white-ball teams. The New Zealand player is under immense pressure after England’s poor Test performances, especially a disappointing Ashes campaign in Australia. Meanwhile, Jos Buttler surpasses MS Dhoni to set historic T20I record against India in Southampton.
Brendon McCullum is about to lose his job in England, official announcement is expected soon
Well, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had earlier this year backed McCullum after a review after the Ashes 2025-26, but now the latest report suggests that the board has decided to sack the former New Zealand captain from the post of Test head coach.
The ECB is preparing for a major change in the red-ball setup following Ben Stokes’ retirement from international cricket, reports 7cricket. He has already made it clear to Brendon McCullum that he cannot continue with him in Test cricket.
But McCullum’s future as England’s white-ball head coach is yet to be decided. The report revealed that discussions are still ongoing between ECB board members and McCullum, but a final decision on his status is yet to be confirmed.
Big news from England – Brendon McCullum is certain to be dismissed from the post of Test coach.
Formal announcement today itself. There are still chances that he will continue to lead the white-ball teams.
Full coverage on The New Ball with @beastieboy07, Tuesdays at 8pm on SEN. @7cricket @1116sen…
– Tom Morris (@tommorris32) July 12, 2026
Brendon McCullum’s possible departure after England dressing room controversies
The decision comes just months after the ECB reviewed the disappointing Ashes campaign and decided to continue McCullum and managing director Rob Key. McCullum’s possible departure comes after a number of off-field controversies involving the England national cricket team.
The England team management has recently introduced strict rules for the players to improve discipline during international series. Under the new rules, England players have been asked not to drink alcohol a day before the match and the next day.
The decision was taken following concerns over the team’s behavior during recent international assignments. The midnight curfew had already been imposed after England’s disappointing 4-1 Test series defeat in Australia earlier this year, where the drinking culture within the team sparked huge controversy.
The issue became even bigger during England’s recent Test series against New Zealand at home. After England won the first Test at Lord’s, captain Ben Stokes and fast bowler Gus Atkinson allegedly broke the team’s curfew by going to a London nightclub.
As a result, both players were ruled out of the second Test at the Oval. Later, it was reported that there was confusion regarding the curfew, with some players believing that the rule did not apply after the match had ended. After that incident, the England team management made the rules very strict.
Brendon McCullum relaxes England’s drinking rules after 4-0 win over India
Interestingly, McCullum relaxed some of the new drinking restrictions for players after England won the T20I series 4-0 over India at home.
In the post-match presentation the coach said, “For starters, we don’t have a lot of guys who actually drink, but anyone who wants a beer can have a beer, yes. The guidelines are in place. And everyone is very aware of it (the guidance) and I think we’ll have a cool beer and just let it sit in one place – as long as nobody gets on the front page.”
