England told to stick with Brendon McCullum, ex-AUS star says ‘remove emotion, look at numbers': ‘He has to listen more’

With England struggling in the Ashes, O’Keefe says Brendon McCullum still deserves backing, citing the team’s improved recent Test record.

England head coach Brendon McCullum finds himself under the spotlight as England stumble through a difficult Ashes campaign. Back-to-back defeats to Australia have exposed gaps in both planning and execution, leaving the team far from the standards they set for themselves. The high-risk ‘Bazball’ approach, once hailed for its fearless batting, has been criticised for lacking substance against a disciplined Australian attack. What looked daring last year now appears predictable and fragile under pressure.

England head coach Brendon McCullum is under the scanner. (AFP)

Meanwhile, former Australian spinner Steve O’Keefe offered a measured defence of Brendon McCullum amid rising criticism, urging fans to look beyond emotion and focus on results. As pressure mounts after England’s poor Ashes start, O’Keefe highlighted why the head coach still deserves backing, especially when viewed against England’s recent Test record.

“If you remove the emotion and look at the numbers, he should stay. Under Joe Root and Chris Silverwood, England won just one of their last 17 Tests. With McCullum, they’re winning at around 58 percent. And historically, no England side has travelled well in Australia since 2010–11. A lot of people think he won’t survive this, but I’d stick with him,” O’Keefe said on Sen Sports.

“McCullum has to correct what’s clearly not working”

England’s repeated stumbles in recent WTC campaigns have only intensified the debate around McCullum’s tactics and where this team is really headed.

Highlighting the need for course correction, O’Keefe said the current setup can’t rely on bravado alone as England struggle to keep pace with Australia.

“He’s introduced a bold mindset, but change is needed. He has to adapt, listen more, and correct what’s clearly not working. A century of Test cricket shows you can’t keep repeating the same approach when you’re being dominated,” O’Keefe noted.

Meanwhile, McCullum's post-match remarks after the second Test in Brisbane, where he claimed England may have overprepared for the pink-ball contest, drew sharp backlash and criticism from fans and former players alike.

Following the backlash, O’Keefe criticised McCullum’s claim, highlighting the mismatch between his “overprepared” comment and the team’s limited match practice, calling for a rethink in approach.

“Saying the team is over-trained makes no sense when they aren’t playing tour matches. They’ve had 11 training days and six days of Test cricket. That has to stop," he added.