Brendon McCullum responded to the claims of a ‘booze-fueled’ Ashes tour, which resulted in England’s 4-1 humiliation in Australia. He defended the England players, saying that the real picture is very different from what has been painted recently.
England lost the Ashes to Australia by a humiliating margin of 4-1 as the Aussies continued their domination in the massive rivalry. However, what humiliated England was not the loss but the fact that the matches looked very one-sided before Australia finally won it with some performance.
Moreover, when England lost the series, one of the main reasons that was cited for the loss was the lack of discipline within the English camp. Throughout their Aussie tour, Brendon McCullum’s strategies remained under severe scrutiny, as sometimes England were seen skipping practice matches, while next they were partying and spending a holiday after repetitive losses.
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“Half our guys don’t have a drink, to be honest” – Brendon McCullum
England and ECB were both mocked after their loss in Adelaide, which crushed England’s hopes for a fightback, since they lost the series with their third consecutive loss at the Adelaide Oval. However, England players took a holiday off to Noosa during the period between the second Test at the Gabba and the Third Test at Adelaide.
During this break, England players were spotted drinking together, while Ben Duckett was caught intoxicated on camera alongside Jacob Bethell, who was seen dancing with an unknown woman. Brendon McCullum denied such claims of irregularity despite accepting the fact that the team was on a holiday.
“Half our guys don’t have a drink, to be honest. They’ll have a couple of beers every now and again. I think people do that in most walks of life,” McCullum said, as quoted by The Guardian.
Brendon McCullum declares the Noosa break as “quite important”
According to the dynamic coach, McCullum, the team’s culture should not be under scrutiny since the mid-series break to Noosa was planned long ago and was deemed as absolutely necessary for the English players.
McCullum had also claimed that England lost the pink ball Test at the Gabba due to overpreparation and hence were not fresh enough to outdo the Aussies.
He then further claimed that cricket is a very demanding sport in the region, and with the amount of fans storming in with high hopes, the players are often under immense pressure; hence, such go-out refreshments are important. But he did not believe that any player did things in excess.
“These guys are young men playing a highly pressurised sport, there’s an opportunity for us to guide and nurture as they become fully grown men who are dealing with some high pressure,” he said.
“Maybe there is someone better,” Brendon McCullum denies compromising
With several speculations over Brendon McCullum’s removal from the position of England’s head coach and the questions swirling over the end of the Bazball era, McCullum has made his stand clear through a statement: “Maybe there is someone better” for the job if he is not allowed to implement his own plans.
He clearly signalled that he is ready to continue as the head coach for England and is open to changes, but the changes should be in accordance with his own strategies. In short, McCullum has been clear that he won’t be implementing anyone else’s plans.
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