England coach Brendon McCullum, right, speaks with England captain Harry Brook (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
MUMBAI: Describing Brendon McCullum as “the best coach I’ve ever had”, England white-ball captain Harry Brook has urged the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to retain the New Zealander as the team’s head coach after England’s seven-run semi-final loss to India.
McCullum’s future came under scrutiny after England’s poor Ashes tour of Australia, where they lost 1-4.After England’s narrow defeat to India, McCullum said he would “love to continue”, while Brook insisted the former New Zealand captain remains “125%” the right man for the job. Brook said his partnership with McCullum has blossomed since he took over as white-ball captain in April last year. “Our partnership has been really good since I took over.
We communicate very well and communication has been great. “It could be a long time coming,” Brock said.
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“I’ve said many times he’s the best manager I’ve ever had. He has an aura in the dressing room and everyone looks up to him. What he achieved as a player was unbelievable and he transferred that into his coaching. Over the last four years he has changed English cricket for the better.”Brook also praised the culture of resilience in the squad – something he believes McCullum has helped foster – as England repeatedly struggled to get back into action during the tournament.
“The boys fought their backs off and we were in the game until the last ball in almost every game,” Brook said.Despite winning six of their eight matches, England did not produce a complete performance during the World Cup. In the semi-final, England mounted a powerful attack, finishing with 246/7 in reply to India’s score of 253/7 on what Brook described as a “bowling graveyard”.Facing the disappointment of the exit, Brock said he was proud of the team spirit.
“I’m disappointed but very proud. As captain, I couldn’t ask for more. We’ve had a great season.”Brook also admitted that he let India out of trouble by dropping Sanju Samson at mid-on when the wicket-keeper batsman was on 15 over. “Players win games, right?” Brock said. “Unfortunately, it didn’t stay in my hands. He played a very good innings and won the match. It’s not ideal, but it’s happened now.”
