Brendon McCullum has apologised to England fans following a string of poor Test results that led to his dismissal as red-ball head coach. Despite winning 11 of his first 13 matches, a 4-1 Ashes defeat and eight losses in the team's last 12 Tests brought the 'Bazball' era to an end.

McCullum will remain the white-ball head coach, focusing on winning silverware ahead of the 2027 World Cup. He expressed disappointment that his attacking philosophy did not translate to results in marquee series against Australia and India, admitting the results were not up to standard.

Looking forward, McCullum promised 'robust conversations' with his successor to ensure harmony across all three formats. Former captain Nasser Hussain supported the move, stating that while the brand of cricket was a joy to watch, the timing was right for McCullum to focus exclusively on white-ball cricket, where England is currently the number one T20 ranked team.