Former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum was named as the new head coach of the England men’s cricket team in Test cricket on Thursday.
McCullum, who has been associated with the IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders as their head coach for the past few years, will be joining hands with England’s newly appointed Test captain Ben Stokes in order to bring about a change in England’s fortunes in the longest format of the game.
It has to be noted that McCullum will be stepping down from his role as Kolkata Knight Riders’ head coach at the end of the ongoing 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League.
Though he has been very impressive as a white-ball coach but he has never before taken the responsibility of a Test team in his coaching career. He was the captain of the New Zealand cricket team for 31 Tests from 2013 until his retirement and was praised for his positive approach throughout his captaincy period.
Brendon McCullum On Taking Up The New Job:
Brendon McCullum will be tasked with changing the fortunes of England’s Test team, which will be a big task considering the recent losses in the Ashes against Australia and also at the hands of West Indies. Talking about the same, he said:
“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.”
“In taking this role on, I am acutely aware of the significant challenges the team faces at present, and I strongly believe in my ability to help the team emerge as a stronger force once we’ve confronted them head-on.
“I’ve enjoyed several robust conversations with Rob Key about the direction of travel for the team and have found his enthusiasm contagious. I’m no stranger to bringing about change within a team environment, and I can’t wait to get started.
“Ben Stokes is the perfect character to inspire change around him, and I look forward to working closely with him to build a successful unit around us,”
McCullum’s Salary As England’s New Head Coach:
Meanwhile, according to the reports, McCullum will be paid a huge amount of money for this job. He is all set to receive a salary paycheck from the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) of around £2 Million for 4 years, which is around 16.08 Crores.
