Brendon McCullum will remain in England to monitor The Hundred as he dedicates his focus exclusively to the national white-ball setup. After stepping down as Test coach following the 2-1 series loss to New Zealand, McCullum has assumed full-time control of the ODI and T20I sides on a contract running through the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa.
Since taking charge of the limited-overs teams, he has overseen a 4-0 T20I series victory over India and a 2-1 ODI series triumph, guiding England back to the top of the ICC T20I rankings. His decision to attend The Hundred represents a shift from his approach after the 4-1 Ashes defeat, when he chose to take a break rather than attend County Championship fixtures.
“I’ll be around for the Hundred. I think it’d be great to see some of England’s premier white-ball tournament. If you’re white-ball coach, I think it’s good to be around for that, seeing not just the guys who are in this squad, but also some of the next talent perform under the brightest lights of the Hundred tournament,” said McCullum as quoted by Cricinfo.
“I think it’d be good to be able to see that up close over the next four weeks or so. I’ll look to try and get around some of those games and see that, and hopefully we’ll see some more talent,” he added.
Following The Hundred, England host Pakistan in a three-match Test series starting August 19, while McCullum’s next white-ball assignment is a six-match limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka beginning September 15. With his contract expiring after the 2027 World Cup, his presence at the tournament has fueled speculation that he is evaluating players closely or considering a return to franchise coaching once his international tenure concludes.
Meanwhile, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has yet to appoint a full-time Test head coach. Former England coach Andy Flower has ruled himself out, while Kumar Sangakkara, Justin Langer, Stephen Fleming, Richard Dawson, Mike Hesson, and Tom Moody have been linked to the role. A decision is expected before the Pakistan series begins.
England also face a key leadership decision following Ben Stokes’ Test retirement. Harry Brook is a leading candidate to captain across all formats, though the ECB may opt to split the captaincy to manage workload and support long-term planning.