McCullum Praises Brook After Stepping Down as Test Coach — SkimNews
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- McCullum says his relationship with white-ball captain Harry Brook has 'really blossomed' over the past 18 months, telling Sky Sports the pair 'work fantastically well together' since he stepped down from the Test job in July 2026.
- Brook has led England's T20 and ODI sides since Jos Buttler stepped away in April 2025, taking the T20 team to the top of the global rankings despite an 87-run opening loss to Pakistan in Rawalpindi on October 20.
- McCullum's Bazball era began with 10 wins from 11 Tests after his 2022 appointment, but 17 losses came alongside 16 wins thereafter, including a 4-1 Ashes thrashing in Australia; he says he has 'zero regrets' about the tenure.
- After Ben Stokes' dramatic international retirement a month earlier, Brook was considered for the Test captaincy, but Joe Root was recalled because captaining all three formats was deemed too heavy a load.
- McCullum is targeting preparation for the 2027 World Cup, treating the Rawalpindi tri-series as a learning ground: 'How do you stay calm during the moments to be able to make good decisions to allow your talent to come out?'
- England had won their last three series in must-win scenarios before the Pakistan defeat and face Sri Lanka on October 22, then Pakistan again on October 25 in Lahore.
Why it matters: McCullum's exit from the Test job and explicit endorsement of Brook reframes England's white-ball project around continuity ahead of the 2027 World Cup. England have won their last three series in must-win scenarios, yet an 87-run opening defeat to Pakistan in Rawalpindi exposes the gap between McCullum's process-led optimism and the results they still need.
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