One calm session in Perth would, in all likelihood, have been enough to win the first Ashes Test against Australia. Instead, England collapsed for nine wickets for 99 runs, a batting implosion that has been called one of the most consequential in English cricketing history, with aftershocks still felt seven months later. That shambolic Saturday afternoon in Perth was the moment the Brendon McCullum era careered off the rails, and it led to a stunning Sunday in July 2026 when McCullum was sacked as England's Test coach, just two weeks after captain Ben Stokes retired from international cricket.
Brendon McCullum, the former New Zealand captain, was appointed England's Test coach in May 2022 by director of cricket Rob Key. On his first day, McCullum said, "I don't coach technically... it's more around man-management and trying to provide the right environment for the team to go out and be the best versions of themselves." He inherited an experienced group flattened by one win in 17 Tests and stifled by Covid restrictions: Stokes, James Anderson, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes and Mark Wood. McCullum liberated them, and England produced some of their most incredible wins: New Zealand at Trent Bridge, India at Edgbaston, Pakistan in Rawalpindi. For a while, as the BBC put it, "England were more than a cricket team. They were a feeling, a movement and a phenomenon." That style became known as "Bazball" – a swashbuckling, attack-at-all-costs approach.
“Brendon McCullum's sacking as England Test coach, ending the Bazball era, explained.”
But the ride eventually careered off the rails. McCullum's approach, which emphasised freedom over technical coaching, struggled when the time came to build a new team. The experienced core aged out. Key decisions – such as the controversial retirement of James Anderson (who said he was "not entirely willingly" retired), poor Ashes preparation with only one warm-up match, and a disastrous team trip to Noosa, Queensland, during the Ashes – all contributed. i Newspaper identified 11 mistakes that killed Bazball, including picking inexperienced players like Josh Hull, Shoaib Bashir, Rehan Ahmed, and Jacob Bethell over proven county performers, and underestimating the challenge of an Ashes tour. After the Ashes defeat, McCullum denied there was a drinking culture, saying "half our guys don't have a drink, to be honest." But the damage was done.
For UK readers, this matters because the England Test team is now back where it was four years ago: without a captain and without a coach. The search for a new Test coach will begin immediately; director of cricket Rob Key said England want a new coach before the Pakistan tour. McCullum, however, will remain as England's white-ball coach, having been appointed across all formats in January 2025. That restructure has so far seen England win five Tests and lose eight, and win six ODIs while losing 12. Only T20 form has been good. The rebuilding job for the next Test coach is huge.
Q: Why was Brendon McCullum sacked as England Test coach? The decision was officially a joint one by McCullum, Rob Key, and Ben Stokes, but McCullum was effectively removed after a disastrous Ashes series in Australia and a string of poor results. England lost eight of their last 14 Tests under his charge, and a batting collapse in Perth was seen as the turning point.
Q: What is Bazball? Bazball is the nickname for England's aggressive, fearless style of Test cricket under McCullum and Stokes. It prioritised man-management and positive intent over technical coaching, producing thrilling wins but also spectacular collapses when the approach backfired.
Q: Will Brendon McCullum still be involved with England? Yes. McCullum will continue as England's white-ball coach. He had been appointed head coach of all formats in January 2025, but after the Test team's decline, the roles have been split again.
What happens next? England need to appoint a new Test coach before their tour of Pakistan. The new coach faces a huge rebuilding job, with a squad that has lost its captain and its talismanic coach. The legacy of Bazball – a brief, exciting era that ultimately failed to deliver sustained success – will be debated for years.