England name Brendon McCullum as new white-ball head coach

London: England have confirmed that Brendon McCullum will take over as the white-ball head coach of the men's team starting January 2025, ahead of the India tour and ICC Champions Trophy.

McCullum, who has been the head coach of the men's Test side since 2022 and pioneered their attacking approach in the longest format, has extended his contract until the end of 2027.

Marcus Trescothick will assume Head Coach duties of the men's limited-overs team in an interim capacity until McCullum takes over in January, with the upcoming series against Australia his first assignment ahead of the tour of the Caribbean.

“For the last two years, constant clashes between formats have made it challenging for the white-ball environment; fortunately, these are easing starting from January," Rob Key, Managing Director of England Men’s Cricket, said.

“The timing of the schedule (from January) will allow him to dedicate the necessary focus to both roles, and we’re confident this restructure will bring out the best in our players and coaching staff," he said.

“I’m delighted that Brendon has chosen to do both roles now with England. I believe we are incredibly fortunate that a coach of his quality is prepared to commit wholeheartedly to English cricket," Key said.

McCullum stated that he was excited to take up the new challenge and said that a single coach across the formats made sense, an ICC report said.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Test team, and I’m excited to extend my role to include the white-ball sides," McCullum said in the ECB statement.

"This new challenge is something I’m ready to embrace, and I’m eager to work closely with Jos (Buttler) and the team to build on the strong foundations that are already in place," he said.

"The idea of a unified coaching structure, especially with the schedule easing next year, made perfect sense," McCullum added.