Brendon McCullum has conceded his future as England’s head coach rests "up to other people" following the team’s swift and humiliating Ashes defeat, which saw the urn lost in just 11 days.
Despite his desire to remain in the role, the New Zealander’s position is now under intense scrutiny.
McCullum had previously labelled this winter’s tour of Australia as "the biggest series of all our lives," but England’s hopes of reclaiming the Ashes were dashed after comprehensive losses in Perth, Brisbane, and Adelaide.
The swift capitulation has inevitably led to questions about accountability, particularly given that McCullum’s predecessor, Chris Silverwood, was dismissed after a 4-0 thrashing four years ago.
While McCullum is keen to oversee a rebuild and address the shortcomings of a "desperate trip," he acknowledges that his fate lies beyond his control. Managing director of cricket Rob Key, who sits above McCullum in the hierarchy, is also facing difficult questions regarding his own tenure, with chief executive Richard Gould ultimately responsible for determining the next steps.
When asked about his prospects of still being in charge for the start of the English summer, McCullum responded candidly: "I don’t know. It’s not really up to me, is it?
“I’ll just keep trying to do the job, try to learn the lessons that we haven’t quite got right here and try to make some adjustments. Those questions are for someone else, not for me."
He added: "Sometimes you don’t win, and then those decisions are up to other people. It’s a pretty good gig, it’s good fun. You travel the world with the lads and try to play some exciting cricket and try to achieve some things.
“I don’t do anything to protect the job, for me it’s a matter of trying to just get the very best out of the people and try to achieve what you can with them."
McCullum expressed belief in the team’s progress, stating: "I’m enjoying the time that I’ve got with these guys and I think we’ve made some progress from when I took over to where we are. We’re not the finished article, but I think we’ve definitely improved as a cricket team. We’ve had an identity about us."
He also admitted to self-reflection: "You’re always looking at what you’ve got right and what you’ve got wrong, and you’re not too ignorant to admit – or too arrogant either – that you get some things wrong. (It’s OK) as long as you don’t keep making the same mistakes."
With two matches remaining, starting in Melbourne on Boxing Day and concluding in Sydney for the New Year Test, the stakes are incredibly high.
Further defeats could make it impossible for any of the key decision-makers to withstand the mounting pressure.
These upcoming Tests are far from "dead rubbers" for a management team and squad fighting to salvage their international careers.
McCullum emphasised the importance of these fixtures: "Now’s the time for us, in the last two Tests, to really show our identity. What I’m trying to achieve with this team, and what the skipper’s trying to achieve, is to try and finish this tour with some pride salvaged from what’s been pretty disappointing so far."
He affirmed his unwavering support for his players: "I’ll always have the back of my players, and always support them, and I’ll always make sure that I’m protective of them as well in a public forum. That doesn’t mean you don’t challenge privately, but in a public forum, you’re always protective.
“I wouldn’t imagine anything would change in the coming days as we look to try and salvage something from this. I have conviction in the style of cricket that I try to get the teams to play, with the players that you’ve got who are suited to it."
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