England will have PTSD accompanying them this time they start their white-ball mega-event campaign, which is less than a month away. Their last two such tournaments were nothing less than shambolic. They were dismal in India during the ODI World Cup in 2023. And even though they made it to the semi-final in the T20 World Cup last year, much of it owed to how chances fared for them. The campaign was insipid. But luckily for them, they have just the right antidote for dullness, namely Brendon McCullum.
McCullum’s penchant for flamboyance helped England overcome their red-ball woes to a significant extent. If he did that in the longest format, could he not weave the same magic in the shorter formats? That remains to be seen but as England’s incoming white-ball coach he is planning to use the same tricks to troubleshoot the problems for the side. Talking ahead of England’s Champions Trophy build-up tour against India, McCullum said
“Obviously, we want to win every game we play, to try and be successful, and that’s ultimately the mission for us. But our conversations and the language we use within the dressing rooms are quite different.”
“It’s about trying to get the best out of the talent that sits within the dressing room, trying to gel the guys as best we can, trying to work out complementary skills, and how we play the style of cricket that gives us our greatest chance.”
England have not been at their best in cricket across formats lately. Their form, unmistakably, resembles that of a team in its transitions phases, with mix of youth, that is too inexperienced to be relied upon, and old, who are mostly past their prime. But McCullum feels he still has the best resources to display a good show of ‘watchable cricket’.
“I’m desperate for us to play a really watchable brand of cricket. With the talent we have, there’s no reason why we can’t. We’ve got a batting line-up which is as powerful as any batting line-up in the world. We’ve got gun spinners, very good fielders and guys who bowl absolute rockets with the ball, so you’ve got options there to be able to entertain and give yourself the greatest chance of success.”
And that’s really what McCullum’s mantra has been all along. In his years as England’s red-ball coach, all he has made the team struggle for is entertainment, something he takes pride in. When he took over as the Test coach of the side, he had a distraught team with a new captain. It’s nearly the same this time. Except England decided earlier to stick with the same captain, Jos Buttler. Brendon McCullum is happy with this decision, and so was reflected in his words at Eden Gardens.
“When I took over the Test job, Stokesy and I knew each other and there was a mutual respect, but wouldn’t say we were friends necessarily, even though it’s now a really tight personal relationship, as well as a working relationship.”
“With Jos, we actually start from a slightly stronger base. Jos and I have been friends for a long time, we’ve often shared some of the philosophies of game, and that friendship gives us really good base to be able to be able to get things going pretty quickly with this team.”
Jos Buttler is well-aware of the challenge that lies ahead of him. Being at the back end of his career and having already bottled up two mega-events as a captain, he knows he does not have many chances left. The knowledge that he was not sacked following the T20 World Cup last year when there were plenty of calls to do so is not really a source of comfort either. But fortunately for England, he is starting this new challenge with a fresher mind, so says McCullum.
“He’s in really good space. He’s excited about the team, and the opportunity that sits in front of us, I’m sure we’ll see Jos really enjoy himself over the next couple of years, and hopefully finish with a real strong enjoyment for the game at the back end of his career.”
England will play a five-match T20I series followed by three ODIs in India before they travel to its neighbouring country, Pakistan to play the Champions Trophy.
