McCullum demands England players 'show some humility' before India Test series: 'We're not smart with our comments'
Brendon McCullum had a message for England's players after months of underwhelming outings across all formats.
As England prepare for the challenging five-Test series at home against India, head coach Brendon McCullum has urged his players to reconnect with their audience, both on and off the field, by showing humility and regaining the public's trust. McCullum, whose aggressive, result-oriented ethos once revitalised England’s red-ball setup, admitted that the team had slipped, both in terms of on-field performance and off-field perception.
“It’s not just about what you do on the cricket field,” McCullum said. “It’s how you carry yourself. It’s how you interact with the public. It’s the messaging that you give.”
After a blistering start to the McCullum-Ben Stokes era, winning 11 of their first 12 Tests, the team’s momentum has since cooled. Series losses in Pakistan and India have prompted questions about their high-risk approach and their attitude towards results. ECB's director of cricket, Rob Key, had bluntly addressed this earlier in March, urging players to “stop talking rubbish” in light of casual remarks from some players downplaying the importance of wins and losses.
During England's recent white-ball tour to India, the side's opener, Ben Duckett, had infamously claimed that the side didn't seem to care about the results in the bilateral series as long as it won the Champions Trophy. The comment received backlash from experts across both countries, with England facing a clean-sweep defeat in the ODI series. The side also went on to crash out in the group stage of the ICC tournament.
McCullum echoed the sentiment from Key, suggesting that England must now be smarter about how they present themselves.
“I think people were excited with how we played at the start, enthralled by the free-wheeling cricket we played. I felt they had a sense of belonging to that type of group. But (since then) we have let opportunities slip and perhaps not been as smart as we possibly could with some of our comments to the media,” said McCullum.
‘Show some humility’
With a marquee home series against India and the high-stakes Ashes in Australia looming later this year, McCullum sees the upcoming one-off Test against Zimbabwe as more than a warm-up.
Asked about the road ahead, McCullum made it clear the team needs to reassess its relationship with supporters. “Show some humility and not feel out of touch with the general population,” he said.
