Brendon McCullum up for the challenge with England but knows wins are needed
The New Zealander kept his job despite an Ashes drubbing.
England head coach Brendon McCullum accepts a return to winning ways is the only way to prove he is the right man for the job, but insists his commitment to the role “never wavered”.
McCullum remained in post after a 4-1 Ashes drubbing in Australia, following a drawn home series against India last summer – a poor return for a period that was billed as an era-defining moment for his reign.
Having been given the chance to put things right, beginning with next week’s first Rothesay Test against native New Zealand, McCullum has laid out his blueprint.
And while he has made it clear that the aggressive approach that became widely known as ‘Bazball’ will not be disappearing entirely, he acknowledges that there is no room now for style over substance. There are six matches to come this summer, three apiece against New Zealand and Pakistan, and the home team need to come out on top against both opponents.
Asked if his regime remained on trial over the coming months, he said: “I’m not really sure but, from my point of view, we’re just focusing on trying to be a side which has improved on what we’ve been of late.
“If we had nailed those (big) moments, then the conversations would be slightly different, but we know we’ve got some work to do.
“Winning is important, right? Winning has always been important…it’s never been purely about playing entertaining cricket. Some of the messages might have been slightly mixed around that, but there’s always been a fierce ambition to succeed. We want to be a team which plays brave because we feel that playing brave gives you the best opportunity. Your job is to try and win, and that’s what we’re endeavouring to do.”
As for his own attachment to the post, the 44-year-old suggested he had never contemplated throwing in the towel.
“I was always very keen to try and finish the job that we started. That never changed. It never wavered,” he said.
“We’ve got a lot of optimism about where this cricket team can get to and we’re realistic of areas where we’ve fallen short. It’s not about reinventing the team per se, it’s about sharpening what we’ve been doing and being a better version.”
Personnel will be as important as philosophy when it comes to taking down the Black Caps at Lord’s next week.
McCullum had good news on Jacob Bethell, who has effectively been passed fit following a finger injury sustained at the Indian Premier League, and also flagged a change of role for captain Ben Stokes.
Director of cricket Rob Key has already talked up utilising more of Stokes’ bowling, after he took the new ball for Durham earlier this season, and that shift now looks likely to come with a move down the batting order.
Discussing the potential of moving wicketkeeper Jamie Smith up to six and shuffling Stokes down to seven, McCullum said: “They are conversations we are having around switching Jamie and Stokesy around.
“Both are brilliant players when they’re at their best and they’re free-flowing when they’re going well.
“It’s how we get the best out of those two based on the group around them and what’s required. That’s certainly a conversation we are having. (We’re) leaning towards it.”
On Bethell, he added: “He took a knock on his finger, which wasn’t ideal, but we expect he’ll be fit enough to bat number three for England. It’ll take a bit more than that to rub Jacob Bethell out.”