Brendon McCullum named England Test coach

Brendon McCullum, who is currently the head coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, will face New Zealand in his first assignment with England in June.

Brendon McCullum was announced as the England men's Test team coach on Thursday.

Brendon McCullum has been named as the England men's Test coach on Thursday.

The former Kiwi skipper, who is currently the head coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), will face New Zealand in his first assignment, subject to obtaining the necessary work visa. The three-match Test series begins on June 2 at the Lord's Cricket Ground.

This is McCullum's first coaching stint in international cricket, after having quit competitive cricket only in 2019. McCullum's prolific Test career had him lead the national side for four years from 2012 to 2016. He racked up over 6400 runs from 101 Tests and also holds the record for the most sixes hit in the format (107).

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The 40-year-old succeeds Chris Silverwood and interim head coach Andrew Strauss as England bids to revamp its red-ball cricket structure after an Ashes series defeat and a Test series loss to West Indies earlier this year.

Speaking on his appointment, McCullum said: "I'd like to say how pleased I am to be given this opportunity to positively contribute to England's Test cricket set-up and move the team forward into a more successful era.

I am acutely aware of the significant challenges the team faces at present, and I strongly believe in my ability to help the team emerge as a stronger force once we've confronted them head-on."

McCullum also lauded Ben Stokes who recently took over the mantle of England's Test captaincy from Joe Root. "Ben Stokes is the perfect character to inspire change around him, and I look forward to working closely with him to build a successful unit around us," he said.