Buttler: McCullum Test exit boosts England World Cup bid — SkimNews
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- Brendon McCullum was relieved of his red-ball duties in July, with Stephen Fleming eventually named as his Test successor, leaving McCullum in charge of England's white-ball set-up only.
- Under McCullum's limited-overs leadership, England ended the summer with 11 wins and two defeats, including ODI series victories over India and Sri Lanka.
- Jos Buttler said on his For the Love of Cricket podcast that McCullum is now 'naturally all in' on the World Cup in southern Africa, since his time is no longer split across formats.
- Buttler has been ruled out of England's upcoming tri-series tour of Pakistan with a hamstring injury and is also a doubt for November's trip to Australia, meaning he could miss as many as eight ODIs.
- England have not won the ODI World Cup since 2019 and have declined in the format since, per Buttler, framing next winter's tournament as a genuine target rather than a vague ambition.
Why it matters: The coaching split hands McCullum a single-minded World Cup mandate, but England's most experienced ODI captain could be sidelined for up to eight preparation matches through injury — a costly blow for a side that has not won the trophy since 2019.
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