Ashes setback fails to dent Brendon McCullum’s resolve to continue as England coach

Despite another bruising Ashes tour in Australia, Brendon McCullum remains adamant he wants to continue as England head coach, insisting.

The team has made progress even as the latest defeat threatens to unravel the biggest promise of the Bazball project.

Australia’s 82-run win in the third Test at Adelaide sealed an unassailable 3-0 lead inside 11 days, retaining the urn with two matches to spare. The loss extended England’s dismal Ashes record Down Under, where they are now winless in 18 matches, with only two draws to show in that period. For a side that arrived confident of mounting a challenge, the speed and scale of the collapse has been sobering.

Speaking after the defeat, McCullum made clear his desire to stay on, even as he acknowledged uncertainty over whether he will still be in charge when England’s home summer begins.

“Yeah, it’s a pretty good gig,” McCullum said. “It’s good fun. You travel the world with the lads, try to play some exciting cricket and try to achieve some things.

“I’m enjoying the time I’ve got with these guys and I think we’ve made some progress from when I took over to where we are now. We’re not the finished article, but I think we’ve definitely improved as a cricket team. We’ve had an identity about us.

“Now’s the time, in the last two Tests, to really show that identity and try to salvage something from this series.”

The defeat marked the fourth consecutive Ashes tour in Australia in which England have effectively been eliminated after three Tests. Traditionally, such outcomes trigger major changes, but both McCullum and captain Ben Stokes have publicly committed to continuing. Both are contracted through to 2027, and Stokes, despite calling England’s performances “poor”, reiterated his intention to remain captain.

Criticism has largely centred on England’s preparation. The tourists played just one three-day warm-up match, against England Lions at Lilac Hill, before the opening Test in Perth — a decision that has since come under heavy scrutiny.

McCullum conceded that the build-up may have fallen short.

“Ultimately, you are responsible for how you get your side ready and how you prepare them,” he said. “We had conviction in our methods, not just before the first Test but also between Tests.

“Looking back now, did we need more going into the first, and did we need less going into the second? Retrospectively, we’ve lost 3-0, so you’d probably say there was room for change. “You put your hand up as a coach and say you might not have got that right. Sitting here at 3-0, it didn’t work.”

Still, McCullum was emphatic that England’s aggressive philosophy would not be abandoned.

“For the last few years we’ve had a team that understands the style we’re trying to play,” he said. “We’ve selected this group based on the skill level, talent and brand of cricket we want to play. That’s not going to change while I’m still in the job.”

McCullum’s position is further complicated by his expanded responsibilities. Earlier this year, he took over as England’s white-ball coach following Matthew Mott’s departure and is set to lead the side into the T20 World Cup in February in India and Sri Lanka.

Asked whether he would still be Test coach when England host New Zealand for a three-match series in June, McCullum was candid. “I don’t know — it’s not really up to me, is it?” he said. “You just keep trying to do the job, learn the lessons you haven’t quite got right here and make some adjustments. Those questions are for someone else.”

Those questions are now likely to fall to England managing director Rob Key, who is expected to address the media in Melbourne.