McCullum has renewed England in 2024 but also showed ruthless side
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Influx of young talent such as Bethell, Atkinson and Carse leaves head coach with revived team but more big choices. As Brendon McCullum appraised 12 months of fluctuating fortunes for England’s Test side, and looked ahead to a defining year against India and Australia, it was hard not to wonder if a coach known for his gambler’s outlook had let slip a tell.
![[Ali Martin]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2022/08/22/Ali_martin3,_L.png?width=75&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
The 2-1 series victory here in New Zealand tipped England’s ledger for 2024 to nine Test wins and eight defeats, all while introducing fresh personnel into the setup and dropping the average age of the side by nearly five years. “We’re a better team than we were back then,” said McCullum.
![[Ollie Pope is bowled by New Zealand’s Matt Henry on the final day of the third Test in Hamilton]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3374820e07ed9634680eb73633ba87a0005f54f0/0_193_4539_2723/master/4539.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
With this came his belief that England will soon “be able to take on the best teams in the world”, with Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jacob Bethell and Jamie Smith all name-checked for promising starts to their Test careers. As regards the makeup of the top order next year, and where Ollie Pope slots into it, there were no guarantees.
A fortnight ago in Wellington, Ben Stokes had “no doubt” Pope would be back to his preferred spot at No 3 next summer. His vice-captain dutifully took on wicketkeeping duties for the series after Smith’s absence for paternity leave was followed by Jordan Cox, the intended stand-in, suffering a broken thumb at the start of the tour.
But life moves pretty fast and Bethell – scarcely older than Ferris Bueller – staked a claim for first-drop with three half-centuries; the last a gutsy 76 on the final day when the left-hander rode out the fiery Will O’Rourke better than some of his seniors. In the topsy-turvy world of Bazball, it could be that a player with three Test centuries in 2024 is nudged out for a youngster who is yet to make one at professional senior level.
