Brendon

The latter stages of McCullum’s tenure have been blighted by off-field issues. During the winter, Harry Brook, Jacob Bethell, Josh Tongue and Ben Duckett were all involved in late-night incidents.

After England won the first Test of the summer against New Zealand, the series was derailed by Stokes and Gus Atkinson breaking the team’s midnight curfew and being present when a member of security staff was struck by a Saracens rugby player.

And McCullum accepted responsibility for what happened on and off the field.

“I was the leader of that group. I was in charge of the team culturally, in charge of the team tactically, in charge of the team results wise as well,” said McCullum.

“If you don’t get the results, being a results business, fundamentally you get replaced. I’m not unaccustomed to that, I’ve been around this game for 20-odd years and I know if you aren’t getting the results, someone else needs an opportunity.

“I put my hand up for that and accept it wasn’t good enough.”

McCullum and Stokes have both previously denied they grew apart during the Ashes series, and McCullum said he has heard from the all-rounder since news of his departure from the Test role emerged.

“I got some nice messages from Stokesy,” said McCullum. “I guess, in a romantic kind of way there’s something about Stokesy and I going out together. We started it together and we go out together, and I have no problem with that.”

England’s search for a new Test coach is already under way, and Gould explained on Sunday a coach will be appointed before a new captain is finalised.

Gould also suggested that the captaincy would be split, perhaps hinting that white-ball captain Brook, also the Test vice-captain, would not be able to lead across all formats.

Brook and McCullum have formed a strong bond while working together with the white-ball teams, and England’s T20 side have just moved to the top of the world rankings.

It raises the question as to whether that partnership will be broken up if 27-year-old Brook takes control of the Test side.

“You know my thoughts on Harry, my affection for him as a player, person and leader,” said McCullum.

“He’s got one of the best tactical brains I’ve seen in someone so relatively young. He’s developing at an incredible speed as a leader. I love working with Harry and I’d love to continue to do so.

“There will be lots of robust conversations throughout. Myself with the white-ball and whoever takes over the red-ball, ultimately there’s going to be harmony across all three teams because we’re going to want what’s best for English cricket.”

McCullum previously had experience working in an environment where the coaching responsibilities were split. For two years, he was Test coach, with Matthew Mott in charge of the white-ball teams. When Mott was sacked in 2024, McCullum assumed overall control.

A heavily congested schedule lends itself to splitting the coaching jobs, but can also lead to one team being sidelined in terms of access to multi-format players.

McCullum will now have to build a working relationship with the new Test coach.

Former England coach Andy Flower could be a candidate, while McCullum’s former New Zealand team-mate Stephen Fleming is highly respected and has just left Indian Premier League side Chennai Super Kings.

Ex-England batter Jonathan Trott has international experience with Afghanistan and Glamorgan coach Richard Dawson is seen as an emerging homegrown contender.

“Once the Test coach is put in the post, we’ll work collaboratively to try to work out what is right for all three formats, and what is right for English cricket,” said McCullum.

“I expect that to be robust, but hopefully a profitable conversation for everyone. Fundamentally, we just need to get what’s right for English cricket. That will be the number one motivation.”

England, under McCullum, begin a three-match one-day series against India at Edgbaston on Tuesday.

Jos Buttler will play his 200th ODI for England, while the tourists can call on the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah.

England will consider between six and 10 names as they seek Brendon McCullum’s successor as Test head coach and would like the person in place for August’s series against Pakistan, says ECB chief executive Richard Gould.

McCullum, 44, was sacked as red-ball coach on Sunday after seven defeats in the past nine Tests.

England’s next Test is against Pakistan at Headingley on 19 August and the team are also currently without a captain after Ben Stokes announced his retirement during the series defeat by New Zealand in late June.

Gould told BBC Sport: “It will be a targeted selection process. We often do a lot of work in terms of planning as to succession – I will always keep a shortlist going of coaches and various other positions and in truth, this position is probably one where the shortlist is no more than six to 10 names globally of a diverse nature.

“In terms of conversations, they will start to happen now and [managing director of men’s cricket] Rob Key will be leading on those.”

Gould confirmed the England and Wales Cricket Board will look to install a head coach first and that person will have a say, alongside Key and national selector Marcus North, in the appointment of a captain.

The new coach will have to work alongside McCullum, who retains the white-ball role, to balance the best interests of English cricket in a crowded cricket calendar where players manage international and franchise commitments.

McCullum’s four-year reign as Test coach has seen England adopt an aggressive style of cricket, but Gould believes his replacement does not necessarily have to mirror that.

“When you look at the skills we’ve got and the talents we’ve got within the team, it is a team that has been playing relatively aggressive cricket,” Gould said.

“But there are always options for the pattern of play to change depending on what the coach wants and where the coach believes those skillsets are.

“It’s going to have to be an individual that complements the skillsets we’ve got in the players and can bring the very best out of them.”

While England would like McCullum’s replacement in position for the three-Test series against Pakistan, Gould accepts an interim solution may happen.

“Clearly the individuals that will be within our shortlist will have other commitments – they may be international cricket, they may be county cricket, they may be franchise cricket, and we’ll need to work through those,” said Gould.

“An interim solution could be in place if it allows us to get to the best possible decision later on down the line.”

Gould added that England would also consider a model where a coach could continue their franchise commitments alongside the role.

England head coach Brendon McCullum says he tired to talk Ben Stokes out of his decision to retire from international cricket following the 2-1 series defeat to New Zealand.

READ MORE: Stokes’ England career ends with NZ series defeat

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Head coach Brendon McCullum said he remains “good friends” with England captain Ben Stokes and the pair have “no idea” why rumours of a rift have emerged.

The pair reunited on Tuesday for England’s crucial deciding Test against New Zealand after Stokes missed the second following an incident in a London nightclub.

Both McCullum and Stokes had previously denied their relationship was strained during the 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia, and McCullum has faced questions about their partnership during Stokes’ absence.

At Trent Bridge, two days before the third Test against New Zealand, McCullum revealed the pair spoke face-to-face on Tuesday morning.

“I said: ‘Do you know where this has come from, the conversations around our relationship over the last six months?'” explained McCullum.

“He said: ‘No, I have no idea.’ I said to him: ‘As far I’m concerned, I consider you a good friend.'”

Stokes and pace bowler Gus Atkinson were made unavailable for England’s heavy defeat in the second Test during an investigation into a breach of the team’s midnight curfew following victory in the first Test at Lord’s.

They were present when a member of England security staff was struck by a Saracens rugby player.

Both have been cleared to rejoin the England team for the third Test, with Stokes returning as captain.

After England made five changes to their team for the second Test, Stokes and Atkinson are two of four changes for the third, as the home side move back towards the XI that won the first Test.

Spinner Shoaib Bashir and wicketkeeper Jamie Smith, who has been on paternity leave, also come back in. Ollie Robinson was man of the match at Lord’s but missed The Oval encounter with a knee problem. Robinson is fit, yet misses out as Jofra Archer keeps his place.

James Rew, Jordan Cox, Matthew Fisher and Sonny Baker are the four players omitted.

Two days before the second Test at The Oval, McCullum gave a sombre media conference, when he repeatedly spoke of his “worry” and “concern” for Stokes.

However, Durham’s county head coach Ryan Campbell later said Stokes was in “good spirits” and the county’s chief executive Tim Bostock said he was “bemused” by McCullum’s comments.

England XI for third Test v New Zealand: Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, Ben Stokes (captain), Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.

England head coach Brendon McCullum says he is ready to work with Ben Stokes when the captain returns for the third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge.

Stokes and pace bowler Gus Atkinson were made unavailable for the huge second-Test defeat pending an investigation into an incident in a London nightclub.

The results of the investigation are still to be confirmed, but McCullum has confirmed Stokes will return as captain, a position he has held since 2022, in Nottingham.

“Ben will be back,” said McCullum. “He’ll be back and he’ll be captain.”

Following a 4-1 Ashes series defeat that was dogged by off-field problems, both Stokes and McCullum denied their relationship had deteriorated in Australia.

Then, following England’s win in the first Test since the Ashes – against New Zealand at Lord’s – Stokes broke the team’s midnight curfew in celebrating the victory.

On his relationship with Stokes, McCullum told BBC Test Match Special: “You’re just trying to make sure you’re very communicative right throughout.

“We all got the same ambition, which is to make English cricket a very good team and to try to achieve results on the field, and that hasn’t changed.”

McCullum said he has spoken to Stokes “every day” since the nightclub incident, which occurred in the early hours of Monday, 8 June.

The New Zealander also confirmed England director of cricket Rob Key has visited Stokes this week.

Indiana officials have disclosed the official cause of death for “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” star Nicholas Brendon, who died in March.

The Putnam County Coroner confirmed in a report shared with The Times on Tuesday that the actor, best known for portraying the loyal and wisecracking Xander Harris, died of atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease. Acute pneumonia and a previous myocardial infarction — a heart attack — were listed as contributing factors in his death.

Brendon died March 20, his family announced in a statement on his social media pages. The family said he died of natural causes, which was also confirmed by the coroner’s report. The report also noted that Brendon had “90% blockage” in his right coronary artery. He was 54.

“He was passionate, sensitive, and endlessly driven to create,” his family said on Instagram in March. “Those who truly knew him understood that his art was one of the purest reflections of who he was.”

Prior to his death, Brendon experienced multiple health issues. He was hospitalized in 2022 after he was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect and after suffering a cardiac incident. The “Criminal Minds” star also underwent multiple spinal surgeries to manage cauda equina syndrome, a rare condition in which nerve bundle in the lumbar or sacral spine are compressed or not functioning properly. His serious spinal injury was triggered by a fall in 2021 that required emergency surgery to prevent paralysis, his manager Theresa Fortier said in a statement at the time.

The coroner’s report described the scene of Brendon’s death, noting that because of the actor’s “declining health” Fortier had spent more time with him and notified authorities of his passing. The report confirmed there were no “obvious signs” of foul play and that “nothing seemed out of place or disturbed” in Brendon’s home, which appeared to be under renovation. Fortier told officials that the actor — a longtime smoker — was dealing with a “persistent” cough, complaining about chest pain and “self-medicating” with over-the-counter drugs prior to his death, according to the report. Brendon also declined further medical treatment.

According to the report, Brendon also had a “markedly enlarged heart,” “moderate” blockage in some of his left arteries and small bowel inflammation.

In addition to “Buffy” and “Criminal Minds,” Brendon was known for roles in the TV series “Without a Trace,” “Private Practice” and “Kitchen Confidential.”

Times staff writer Clara Harter contributed to this report.