Ravi Shastri tipped to become next England head coach as McCullum questions swirl: ‘Who knows how to beat Australia?’

England head coach Brendon McCullum is facing growing scrutiny after another disappointing Ashes tour of Australia, with the Ben Stokes-led side losing the series inside 11 days. The heavy defeat has reignited debate over McCullum’s tactics and the much-hyped ‘Bazball’ approach, even as former England spinner Monty Panesar has suggested Ravi Shastri as an ideal successor.

McCullum was appointed by England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) managing director Rob Key in 2022, following England’s 4–0 Ashes loss. Partnering with captain Ben Stokes, he initially transformed England’s Test fortunes, guiding the team to 10 wins in their first 11 matches and injecting a new, aggressive mindset into the side.

However, England’s momentum has since stalled. They have failed to win any of their high-profile five-Test series against Australia or India, losing 16 of their next 33 matches. In the ongoing Ashes, England trail 0–3 with two Tests still to play.

Speaking on journalist Ravi Bisht’s YouTube channel, Panesar said Shastri’s experience made him the ideal candidate to coach England, particularly given his success against Australia at home.

“You have to think: who knows how to beat Australia? How do you exploit Australia’s weaknesses — mentally, physically and tactically?” Panesar said. “I think Ravi Shastri should become England’s next head coach.”

Under Shastri, India achieved historic success in Australia, winning the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2018/19 — their first-ever Test series win Down Under — and again in 2020/21, when they rebounded from the infamous 36 all out in Adelaide and overcame a severe injury crisis to clinch the series.

Despite the criticism, McCullum has reiterated his desire to continue as England coach, while acknowledging that his future is no longer in his hands following the Ashes defeat. The former New Zealand captain is contracted with the ECB until the end of the 2027 ODI World Cup, a tenure that also includes the next home Ashes series in 2027.

“I don’t know. It’s not really up to me, is it?” McCullum told reporters in Melbourne when asked if he expected to be in charge next summer. “I’ll just keep trying to do the job, learn the lessons I haven’t quite got right here and make adjustments. Those questions are for someone else.”

Describing the role as a “pretty good gig,” McCullum said he remains motivated despite the mounting criticism.

“It’s good fun. You travel the world with the lads, try to play exciting cricket and achieve some things,” he said. “For me, it’s about getting the very best out of people. I think we’ve made some progress from when I took over to where we are now.”