England have sacked Brendon McCullum as Test head coach just two weeks after Ben Stokes stepped down as captain and retired from international cricket, bringing a definitive end to the Bazball era. McCullum will remain in charge of the white-ball teams, where England currently sit top of the T20 rankings after a 4-0 series win over India. Director of cricket Rob Key retains his position despite the upheaval.

The decision follows a catastrophic run of seven defeats in nine Tests, including a 4-1 Ashes thrashing in Australia and a 2-1 home series loss to New Zealand — England's first in a home series of three or more Tests for 14 years. That defeat was overshadowed by a nightclub incident involving Stokes and Gus Atkinson, which precipitated Stokes' abrupt retirement. Since the initial 10-wins-in-11-Tests surge under McCullum and Stokes, England have won just 17 and lost 19 of 38 matches.

With the next Test series against Pakistan starting on 19 August, England now have neither a head coach nor a captain. Harry Brook is the leading candidate for the captaincy, though that appointment may depend on the new coach's preference. Potential replacements include Andy Flower, Richard Dawson, Gareth Batty, and Darren Lehmann, though luring Flower from franchise cricket remains uncertain.

McCullum's white-ball contract runs through next autumn's 50-over World Cup, creating an unusual dual-structure where the Test coach must operate alongside his formidable personality. The ECB's priority is restoring discipline and preparation standards that collapsed in Australia, where inadequate planning and off-field controversies derailed a pace-heavy strategy built for 2025-26.