We've got to be smarter with our comments - McCullum

The home series against India and the Ashes coming up this year will be the yardstick by which this England team will be judged © Getty
Brendon McCullum, the all-format head coach of England men's side, has called for his players to show more maturity in their public comments. Since the New Zealander took over as head coach of the Test team in 2022, McCullum along with skipper Ben Stokes have redefined England's approach with a high-tempo style of play, especially in the batting department. It gave them instant results, with 10 wins in the first 11 Tests, adding a fresh lease of life to the popularity of the format in the country.

However, as time has gone on, England's batting plans have faced challenges. More so in overseas Tests where some poor phases of play cost the team dearly. Besides criticism for the batters' lack of adaptability, they've also faced flak for the way England's players have reacted to the losses in public. McCullum is aware of it but insists that such comments don't necessarily reflect the team's overall outlook. He also hopes that his players choose their words better in the future.

"We've just got to be a bit smarter with some of our comments," McCullum said. "What we say in that dressing room is often very different to what you expect to come out in a public forum.

"We've just got to be aware of that, smart enough to be able to make sure that we articulate things when we get the opportunity so that we don't we don't lose touch with the English people."

McCullum feels that rediscovering success on the field will go a long way in regaining ground with the English public. After their immediate assignment, the one-off Test against Zimbabwe, the home series against India and the Ashes in Australia later on are yardsticks by which this England team will be judged.

England team combinations and tactics haven't been flawless, but McCullum expects his side to tie up the loose ends at a steady rate. That they are still ranked second in the longest format shows that the overall report card under the McCullum-Stokes regime is a moderately successful one.

"If we look at it at the start, people were excited by the way we played. They were enthralled by the freewheeling type of cricket and they felt - I'm guessing here - a sense of belonging to that type of group.

"With a bit of idle time, we get the opportunity to retrospectively look at things and see where things have been over the last few years, where we've come from, what we've achieved, opportunities we've let slip, and also looking at what we've done for the people that this team represents."

Dwelling more on players' demeanor on and off the field, McCullum underlined the importance of personality development from his boys. He maintains that the success on the cricket field remains a priority but also wants England's players to push the envelope in terms of their engagement with the public. Balancing the two things is no easy task but that is where the challenge lies according to the England head coach.

"It's not just about what you do on the cricket field. It's how you carry yourself. It's how you interact with the public. It's the messaging that you give.

"The ability these guys have to be able to play on the biggest stage, under the brightest lights and the pressure is one thing, but also the ability to be humble and show some humility and not feel out of touch with the general population is something I'd like to see us improve on."