Former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum has been appointed as England's Men's team head coach. The 40-year-old's stint at the helm with the Test side will begin in the home series against New Zealand, starting on June 2 at Lord's, subject to obtaining a necessary work visa. "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," Managing Director of England's Men's Cricket Rob Key said. Key said: "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. 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."
"I believe in Brendon and Ben Stokes - a formidable coach and captain partnership. Time for us all to buckle up and get ready for the ride," he added. McCullum echoed Key's thoughts of starting a new era of Test cricket for England under Stokes. "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 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," he added. "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.
