The five-Test series against Australia Down Under saw England going down 1-4. The result was difficult to fathom for the fans of the English side, considering Australia did not field the strongest playing XI in all five Tests, as Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon remained unavailable at one stage or another. After the series loss, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) promised a thorough review, and it seems key decisions are set to be taken.
The Ashes 2025-26 trip also saw England players come under fire for reportedly binge-drinking and making multiple trips to casinos. The Noosa trip during the break between the second and third Test also came under severe criticism, and most of the brickbats were faced by opening batter Ben Duckett after a video went viral in which he was reportedly seen in a drunken state, struggling to find an Uber.
Now, according to a report in the Telegraph, McCullum’s future as the head coach remains under a cloud and the final call is expected after the T20 World Cup. Hence, it is paramount that England deliver a good performance in the 20-team tournament if McCullum is to keep his job. However, skipper Ben Stokes and managing director Robert Key are all set to keep their jobs for now.
Speaking of McCullum, he took over as the Test coach in 2022. However, under his tenure, England failed to win a single series against Australia and India. The former New Zealand captain was then given the reins of the white-ball side in 2024, following Matthew Mott’s sacking after successive disappointing World Cup campaigns.
‘Behaviour needs to change’
According to the Telegraph, the ECB officials are aware that certain aspects of the team’s off-field behaviour need to change, following the Ashes debacle. The entire series against Australia saw former England players criticising the current Three Lions outfit for their lack of preparation and training.
Speaking after the final Test in Sydney, McCullum had also hinted that if changes are imposed and he’s asked to operate a certain way, then he would not be the man for the job, as he would not be told what to do.
“I have firm beliefs in what works. Am I for being told what to do? Of course I’m not,” McCullum had said then.
When asked about the notion of ideas imposed upon him, McCullum said: “Without being ultimately able to steer the ship, maybe there is someone better.”
Stokes and McCullum have always been watertight, but the Ashes horror show also strained their relationship. England are currently in Sri Lanka for three ODIs and three T20Is, and a curfew has already been imposed on the players following skipper Harry Brook’s altercation with a nightclub bouncer hours before captaining the ODI team in New Zealand last year.