Former England Test head coach Brendon McCullum has apologised to England cricket fans after being removed from his role following a disappointing run in red-ball cricket. McCullum admitted that the team failed to achieve its biggest goals during his four-year tenure, especially in major Test series against India and Australia.
McCullum, who remains England's white-ball head coach, said he fully respected the decision taken by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). He acknowledged that cricket is a results-driven sport and accepted that the team's performances in Test cricket were not good enough.
Speaking before England's three-match ODI series against India, McCullum said he was naturally disappointed after being informed about his removal. However, he added that he understood why the decision had been made and believed it was time for someone else to take charge of the Test team.
The former New Zealand captain said he always wanted to do what was best for English cricket and thanked everyone who worked with him during his time as coach. He also expressed gratitude to the players, support staff and fans who supported the team throughout the journey.
McCullum took over as England's Test coach in 2022 and introduced an aggressive style of cricket that became popularly known as "Bazball." Under his leadership and captain Ben Stokes, England adopted an attacking approach that earned praise from cricket experts and fans around the world. The team played fearless cricket and registered several memorable victories.
However, despite changing England's style of play, the team struggled in the biggest Test contests. Success against top teams such as India and Australia remained out of reach, and those failures eventually led to McCullum losing the Test coaching role.
England's inability to win the marquee Test series against India and Australia became the biggest reason behind McCullum's departure.
At home, England managed only a 2-2 draw in the Ashes after staging a late comeback against Australia. They also drew a four-match home Test series 2-2 against an Indian side that was missing several key players.
Away from home, England found conditions even more difficult. They lost a five-match Test series in India 4-1 in 2024 and suffered another heavy 4-1 defeat during the 2025-26 Ashes series in Australia.
Although England produced exciting cricket and often dominated sessions of play, they failed to convert promising positions into series victories. McCullum admitted that the team's main objective was always to win the biggest contests, and falling short in those series meant they had not achieved what they had set out to do.
He said England had created opportunities against both India and Australia but could not make the most of them. Looking back, he believes there were several moments when the results could have gone differently, but he accepted that there was no point dwelling on missed chances.
McCullum said that while he was proud of many achievements during his tenure, the final results did not meet expectations. Since cricket is judged by results, he understood why the ECB decided to make a change.
Despite losing the Test coaching position, McCullum will continue as England's white-ball head coach. He recently guided England to a historic 4-0 T20 International series victory over India, showing that his methods continue to produce success in limited-overs cricket.
The former coach said he is now fully focused on helping England become one of the strongest white-ball teams in the world. He plans to use his experience, knowledge and understanding of the players to build a side capable of winning major ICC tournaments.
McCullum said he remains passionate about English cricket and wants the team to perform well both on and off the field. His aim is to ensure England represents its supporters with pride and competes consistently for trophies.
He also thanked the England supporters for standing behind the team throughout his tenure. While apologising for the disappointing Test results, he said he had always been honoured to coach England and had given everything to achieve success.
According to McCullum, everyone involved with the team worked extremely hard over the past four and a half years. The players and coaching staff were fully committed to improving England's Test cricket, but despite their efforts, they could not win the two series that mattered the most.
McCullum admitted that he feels sorry for not delivering victories against India and Australia. He believes those contests define England's success in Test cricket, and failing to win them meant the team's overall performance fell short of expectations.
While his Test coaching journey has ended, McCullum remains determined to help England succeed in white-ball cricket. He hopes the team can win major trophies in the coming years and continue entertaining fans with an exciting brand of cricket.
For England, the search for a new Test coach now begins as the team looks to build on the positive aspects of the "Bazball" era while finding a way to achieve consistent success against the world's strongest Test nations.
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