England white-ball head coach Brendon McCullum has finally broken his silence after being sacked from the post of head coach in the Test format. Brendon McCullum admitted that England’s poor performance in Tests led to his exit and said he completely understands why the decision was taken.
McCullum also expressed regret for not being able to deliver the results as expected by England fans. He admitted that the team could not win the biggest Test series during his tenure as coach and said that he was left with no excuses due to the disappointing performance. Meanwhile, Rob Key is left to continue as England MD following Brendon McCullum’s exit.
Brendon McCullum breaks silence after dismissal of Test coach
Speaking ahead of the start of England’s three-match ODI series against India, Brendon McCullum revealed that he had been informed by the England management that they wanted a new coach for the Test team. Meanwhile, Jacob Bethel will open as England announce playing XI for 1st ODI vs India; Tom Banton was dropped.
He admitted that he was very disappointed when he got the news, but he respected the decision because he knows that international cricket is all about results. The coach also felt that now was the right time for someone else to take charge of the Test team and try to take England forward.
He said in the pre-match press conference: “I’ve got a pat on the shoulder. Obviously, I was disappointed initially. Well, I’m disappointed, just not in the beginning. But at the same time, I completely respect the decision. We’re in the business of results, and our results weren’t good enough. Basically, it’s time for someone else to step up.”
Brendon McCullum cites England coaching role as biggest highlight of his career
McCullum also recalled his four-year stint as England’s Test coach. He said that this is one of the proudest moments of his cricket career. Having spent more than two decades in the game as a player and coach, he described his time with England as one of the greatest achievements of his life.
He said that he always feels grateful when he gets the opportunity to coach England. His main goal was to help the team play better cricket, improve the players and make England stronger in test matches. He thanked all the players, coaches and support staff for their hard work and commitment during his tenure as coach.
McCullum added, “I think in almost 20 years in this game, the last four years have probably been the biggest highlights for me. I’ve always been incredibly grateful for the opportunity. I’m humbled to be in that position. I just wanted to try to get the best results for English cricket for all the people who support the team.”
Brendon McCullum says ‘sorry’ to England fans after failing against India and Australia
However, the England white-ball coach admitted that the team failed to win the Ashes series in Australia and also against India, for which he apologized to the English fans.
McCullum said, “Basically, we were not able to win those big series. The series against India and the series against Australia are two major series. We were not able to get results in them. I think I can only say sorry for that.”