England head coach Brendon McCullum’s future has come under heavy scrutiny after the side’s Ashes 2025 series defeat at the hands of Australia. After losing three consecutive Tests in Perth, Brisbane, and Adelaide, questions have arisen on McCullum’s strategies, especially the ‘Bazball’ approach, and leadership, while demanding a change of coach in the England Test side.
McCullum was the coach only for the Test side before he was elevated to the all-format coach after Matthew Mott stepped down as the white-ball coach after England failed to defend the ODI World Cup and T20 World Cup in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Though the former New Zealand captain expressed his desire to stay as coach and the ECB managing director vehemently backed him despite the Ashes defeat, speculation continues among fans and experts about whether a change in leadership could help revive England’s Test fortunes.
As Brendon McCullum’s future as England Test coach remains uncertain, let’s take a look at five candidates who could take up coaching duties in the red-ball setup.