England’s head coach, Brendon McCullum, is under severe criticism following another disastrous tour of Australia, with the Ben Stokes-led side losing the Ashes series in 11 days. The crushing defeat has prompted new concerns about McCullum’s tactical style and the efficacy of the much-debated ‘Bazball’ concept.
In the midst of rising speculation about McCullum’s future, former England spinner Monty Panesar has stated that former India head coach Ravi Shastri would be a perfect option to lead the England side.
Following England’s 4-0 Ashes defeat in Australia, Rob Key, managing director of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), hired McCullum as head coach in 2022. McCullum and Stokes initially rejuvenated England’s Test cricket, leading the squad to 10 victories in their first 11 games in command.
However, England’s momentum has slowed. The team has not won either of its big five-match Test series against Australia or India, and it has lost 16 of its following 33 matches. The continuing Ashes series has underlined England’s problems, with the team down 0-3 with two matches remaining.
Panesar believes Shastri is well-suited for the task, given his experience and understanding of what it takes to defeat Australia on home turf.
“You have to think: who exactly knows how to beat Australia? How do you take advantage of Australia’s weaknesses, mentally, physically, and tactically? I think Ravi Shastri should become England’s next head coach,” said Panesar to journalist Ravi Bisht on his YouTube channel.
Under Ravi Shastri tenure, India defeated Australia twice on Australian soil in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
The first came in 2018/19, marking India’s maiden Test series victory Down Under. They repeated the achievement in 2020/21, famously rebounding from the infamous ‘36 all out’ in the Adelaide pink-ball Test and navigating a tour severely impacted by injuries.
Meanwhile, despite mounting external pressure, McCullum has expressed his desire to continue as England head coach but acknowledged that his future may no longer be entirely in his control following the Ashes defeat. The former New Zealand captain remains under contract with the ECB until the conclusion of the 2027 ODI World Cup, a tenure that also includes the next home Ashes series scheduled for the same year.
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