Brendon McCullum: England coach says he might be a ‘better person’ if he couldn’t ‘steer the ship’

Key, McCullum and skipper Ben Stokes breathed life into the England Test team when they took over four years ago in the wake of a 4-0 defeat in Australia.

But the methods that led to 10 wins in their first 11 matches have come under intense scrutiny in Australia.

The tourists were far behind Australia with bat, ball and fielding. Their preparation has been called into question, including the lack of a full-time bowling coach or member of staff who specializes in fielding.

Heavy defeats in Australia often lead to sweeping changes in England’s leadership, a move the ECB hierarchy are keen to avoid this time around.

However, McCollum in particular’s future seems to hinge on his willingness to accept the need for change and his ability to enact it.

“Whatever you do in life, you have to have some authenticity,” McCollum said.

“For me in my position as a coach, you have to have an influence on how the environment is going and be responsible for a lot of those decisions that are made when there is pressure.

“So as long as that remains, I’m open to progress. I’m open to evolution and some mergers, but without me eventually being able to steer the ship maybe there’s someone better out there.”