England fell flat in McCullum’s first series since aligning the head coach roles, losing 4-1 in T20s to India and finishing on a downer after being thrashed by a record margin of 150 runs in Mumbai.
And McCullum believes their battery of out-and-out fast bowlers plus leg-spinner Adil Rashid might be even more effective looking for the wicket-taking option, rather than worry about going for runs, in the three-match ODI series starting on Thursday in Nagpur.
His proficiency against spin makes him a compelling option with England’s batters struggling to combat Varun Chakravarthy, while the next T20 World Cup in early 2026 will be held in India and Sri Lanka.
England have lost 13 of their last 20 ODIs dating back to the start of the 2023 World Cup but welcome Joe Root into the fold, with the Yorkshireman’s last appearance in the format being 15 months ago.
Brendon McCullum warned his bid to turn around the fortunes of England’s faltering white-ball sides may take time but he has the utmost confidence his methods will pay off.
