Brendon McCullum backed to transform England cricket

Former Black Caps captain Brendon McCullum is set to be named as coach of the England Test team, a move that his former team mate Grant Elliott is endorsing.

Brendon McCullum and Grant Elliott in the Black Caps dressing room.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT

McCullum will reportedly accept the role to replace Chris Silverwood by the end of the week.

Elliott, who played under McCullum’s captaincy in the New Zealand team, said his former skipper had the right attributes to turn around a struggling England team that has won only one of their past 17 matches.

“He’d be strong candidate because he’s been through that as captain, he’s been through a change of environment, a change in philosophy around playing,” Elliott said.

“When you look at when Brendon came on as captain when New Zealand were bowled out for 45 in South Africa in the first Test match with him as captain, I think he recalled it as probably his lowest point as captain and it was time for change and that’s exactly what happened.

“He was a integral part to where New Zealand are now so England obviously needs a little bit of change and wherever that change lies, whether it’s at the international level or the county level if he does get the position I think that he would know about how to go about that and how to get to that end goal and what that will look like for England cricket.”

McCullum is currently coaching the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

He has not coached at first class level or for an international team.

Elliott did not see McCullum’s lack of international coaching experience as a hindrance for England and said the IPL would have been a tougher task.

“I think that’s probably the most pressure that you would get as a coach around the circuit because you’ve got privately owned teams and the pressures of the owners and as being an asset to them comes into play. There’s a lot of pressure on him as a coach in IPL and I think that pressure can be translated into international cricket, if anything international cricket fixtures there is less pressure on you as a coach,” Elliott said.

Elliott believed McCullum’s other experiences picked up during 101 Tests for New Zealand would also be of value to the England players.

“His playing experience will stand him in really good stead, he’ll understand what is going through the players heads and I think if you’ve got a coach who can mix those almost executive style characteristics that you need in the corporate with playing experience you’ve got a really good coach on your hands.”