Current England head coach Brendon McCullum faces intense scrutiny after the team’s another forgettable tour Down Under. The Ben Stokes-led side lost the Ashes inside 11 days, raising doubts over his strategy and the much-discussed ‘Bazball’ approach. Amid the debate over McCullum’s future, former England bowler Monty Panesar named Ravi Shastri as the ideal candidate to take over as England coach.
McCullum was appointed by England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) men’s managing director Rob Key in 2022, following the team’s 4-0 Ashes defeat. Alongside captain Ben Stokes, the duo breathed fresh life into England Test cricket, guiding the team to 10 wins in their first 11 matches.
However, England’s form has since stagnated. They have failed to win any of their marquee five-match series against Australia or India, losing 16 of their next 33 matches. This includes the ongoing Ashes, where they are trailing 0-3 with two games remaining.
Speaking to journalist Ravi Bisht on his YouTube channel, Panesar said he believes Ravi Shastri would be the right candidate to coach England, as he understands what it takes to beat Australia in their own backyard. He said: “You have to think: who exactly knows how to beat Australia? How do you take advantage of Australia’s weaknesses, mentally, physically, and tactically? I think Ravi Shastri should become England’s next head coach.”
Under Shastri, India beat Australia twice on Australian soil in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The first came in 2018/19, India’s maiden series win Down Under. They repeated the feat in 2020/21, overcoming the infamous ‘36 all out’ in the Adelaide pink-ball Test and managing a squad riddled with injuries.
Despite the outside noise, McCullum stressed his desire to continue in the role but conceded that his future is no longer in his control following the Ashes defeat. The former New Zealand captain is contracted with the ECB until the conclusion of the 2027 ODI World Cup, a tenure that also includes the next home Ashes series in the same year.
“I don’t know. It’s not really up to me, is it? I will just keep trying to do the job, try to learn the lessons that I haven’t quite got right here and make adjustments. Those questions are for someone else, not for me,” McCullum had told the reporters in Melbourne when asked if he believes he will be in charge for the home summer next year.
Calling the role a “pretty good gig”, McCullum said he remains motivated despite the heavy criticism.
“It’s a pretty good gig. It’s good fun. You travel the world with the lads and try to play some exciting cricket and try to achieve some things. For me, it’s a matter of trying to just get the very best out of the people and try to achieve what you can with them.
“Those other decisions are up to other people. I think we’ve made some progress from when I took over to where we are,” he was quoted as saying by the English media.
