Now fully in charge, McCullum begins with the T20I series against India, followed by three ODIs, and then prepares for the Champions Trophy opener against Australia on February 22 in Lahore.
Brendon McCullum kicks off his tenure as England’s white-ball head coach with a five-match T20I series against India in Kolkata on Wednesday.
Known for his aggressive and entertaining approach in Tests, McCullum aims to bring the same energy to white-ball cricket, while showing faith in Jos Buttler’s leadership and potential.
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Since his appointment as England’s dual-format head coach in September, McCullum has focused on Test cricket, overseeing tours of Pakistan and New Zealand, with Marcus Trescothick filling in for the ODI side. Now fully in charge, McCullum begins with the T20I series against India, followed by three ODIs, and then prepares for the Champions Trophy opener against Australia on February 22 in Lahore.
Speaking at the pre match press conference, Brendon McCullum talked about his approach to the game, saying that while the goal is to win every match, the main focus is on helping players perform at their best. He wants the team to work well together, understand each other’s strengths, and play a style of cricket that gives them the best chance to succeed.
“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 how we play the style of cricket that gives us our greatest chance,” McCullum said.
McCullum also expressed his wish for England to play exciting and entertaining cricket. He praised the team’s talent, saying they have a powerful batting lineup, skilled spinners, excellent fielders, and fast bowlers who can bowl at great speeds. He believes these qualities give the team both the ability to win matches and to entertain fans.
“I’m desperate for us to play a really watchable brand of cricket,” he added. “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,” he added.
Speaking about his relationship with Jos Buttler, Brendon McCullum highlighted their strong friendship and shared cricketing philosophies. He mentioned that they have had time to discuss plans over the past few months, which has helped them build a solid foundation for their work together.
“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,” he said.
McCullum added that Buttler is in a good place, feeling happy and excited about the team and the opportunities ahead. He expressed confidence that Buttler will enjoy himself over the next few years and finish his career with a strong sense of fulfillment and love for the game.
“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,” he added.
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Brendon McCullum acknowledged that the upcoming tour will going to tough for them but he expects his side to watchable brand of cricket. Brendon McCullum admitted there may be challenges but stressed the importance of improving before the Champions Trophy while focusing on the current series against a strong Indian team in their home conditions.
“It’s going to be a tough tour. We’re taking on a very good India side, and I’m sure we’ll play what I hope is a very watchable style of cricket. I’m sure there’ll be some times we don’t quite get it right but, hopefully, we’ll chisel away at that over the next few weeks and be in good shape come the Champions Trophy. But we are very much focused on this series, knowing India are a very good cricket team, particularly in their own conditions,” McCullum stated.
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