England's director of men's cricket, Rob Key, described Brendon McCullum as 'outstanding' just weeks before the coach was sacked. McCullum's departure marks the end of the Bazball era, a philosophy that briefly revitalized the Test team but ultimately proved unsustainable.
McCullum's dismissal and the end of an era
Brendon McCullum was sacked as England Test coach on Sunday, following a humbling 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia and a 2-0 series loss to Pakistan. The decision came just over a month after Key had backed McCullum, saying he had 'been outstanding in the way that he's led this side as a coach' and that 'this is one of the more successful England Test teams, and it's not even anywhere near the end of it.'
McCullum's aggressive approach, dubbed 'Bazball' after his nickname, was defined by the Collins English Dictionary in 2023 as 'a style of Test cricket in which the batting side attempts to gain the initiative by playing in a highly aggressive manner.' However, the style became less effective over time, and results declined.
Early success under McCullum and Stokes
McCullum took over as Test coach in May 2022, alongside Ben Stokes as captain. The team immediately enjoyed a remarkable run, chasing 277, 299 and 296 to beat New Zealand 3-0, then cantering to a target of 378 against India, and coming back from 1-0 down to beat South Africa 2-1. Jonny Bairstow averaged 75.66 at nearly a run a ball during that summer. England then swept Pakistan 3-0 in extraordinarily uncompromising conditions.
Stokes was widely mocked in 2023 for saying, during a drawn Ashes series, that England had become 'a sports team that will live forever in the memory of people who were lucky enough to witness us play cricket.' While hyperbolic, the statement captured the excitement of the early Bazball period.
The decline: Ashes 2023 and beyond
The 2023 Ashes saw England come back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2, but only Manchester rainfall denied Australia a third victory. McCullum described last winter's return series as 'the biggest of all our lives,' but England were humbled 4-1. The ECB launched a review, with chief executive Richard Gould initially saying no personnel changes were needed: 'Moving people on can sometimes be the easy thing to do. That's not the route we're going to take.'
However, after three more Tests, Stokes resigned as captain and now McCullum has been sacked. Gould said on Sunday: 'Positions, particularly in sport, change very quickly.'
McCullum's legacy and future
McCullum had recommitted to his role at the start of the summer, promising a more refined version of the team: 'I still want us to play brave and positive cricket. I'd like us to be slightly smarter on occasions.' The first Test against New Zealand at Lord's was won convincingly, but Stokes and Gus Atkinson broke a curfew in celebrations, and any positivity evaporated.
McCullum now remains as England's white-ball coach, having added that role in 2025. He famously rejected it in 2022 because he wanted a 'grunty' challenge, saying: 'If you're prepared to change your life for something it's got to be something a bit grunty, a bit meaty, and the challenge of trying to bring a team which is rock bottom at the moment, and try to build something long-term that is sustainable and successful.' The irony is that he failed to build sustainable success with the Test side, leaving him with the white-ball job.
McCullum declared on Saturday that reaching No 1 in T20s was 'scaled the summit of what we wanted to achieve,' but his focus must now shift to the 50-over format, with a World Cup in 2027 and England's recent ODI performances unconvincing.
