Brendon McCullum has been confirmed as England’s Men’s new Test head coach, the ECB said in a press release. The New Zealand legend gets the job on a four-year deal.

McCullum’s appointment comes as England have managed to win only one out of their last 17 Test matches. They faced a humiliating 4-0 series loss in the Ashes Down Under. The team management replaced Joe Root as Test captain and Robert Key came in for former England Managing Director Ashley Giles. Brendon McCullum replaces Chris Silverwood. 

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McCullum, who is currently coaching the Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2022, will step down from the post. Nicknamed Baz, the Kiwi played 101 Tests between 2004 and 2016. He scored 6453 runs at 38.64 with a highest score of 302. 

Brendon McCullum captained New Zealand for 31 Tests from 2013 until his retirement. He also led the team in the 2015 World Cup. The 40-year-old coached Trinbago Knight Riders to the Caribbean Premier League title in 2020. 

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“We are delighted to confirm Brendon as England Men’s Test Head Coach. It has been a real privilege to get to know him and understand his views and vision for the game. I believe his appointment will be good for England’s Test team. He has a recent history of changing cricket culture and environments for the better, and I believe he is the person to do that for England’s red-ball cricket,’ Rob Key said. 

“We were incredibly fortunate to have a seriously strong list of quality candidates for the post, with Brendon demonstrating he was our number one choice,” he added. 

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Brendon McCullum’s arrival date in the UK is dependent on KKR’s qualification for the IPL play-off. 

“I’d like to say how pleased I am to be given this opportunity to positively contribute to England’s Test cricket set-up and move the team forward into a more successful era,” the new head coach tweeted.