Brendon McCullum reminds England’s white-ball side of ‘responsibilities’
Brendon McCullum has promised to hold England’s white-ball side to the same standards as the Test team, launching his job share with Stephen Fleming with a reminder that their lifestyle “comes with responsibilities”.
Monday represented a fresh chapter for English cricket, with new red-ball head coach Fleming arriving in the country to begin building the foundations of a split management setup.
Fleming will spend a two-week stay meeting with his new ECB employers, kickstarting his relationship with Test skipper Joe Root, speaking with key figures in county cricket and is due to link up with McCullum’s limited-overs squad in Manchester ahead of the third T20 against Sri Lanka on Saturday.
And McCullum made it clear the tightening of disciplinary expectations that Root has already made a priority will be mirrored in his regime.
Brydon Carse has been left out across all formats since being arrested, then de-arrested, outside a Derby nightclub last month – treatment that speaks of a stricter philosophy than the freewheeling early days of ‘Bazball’.
“I hope it’s crystal clear what is expected, not just of this group, but of those who have got aspirations to play for us,” he said ahead of the series opener at the Utilita Bowl.
“We want to play a style of cricket that comes with responsibilities. That’s just life living in the fast lane of international cricket. There is a lot of talent around, if you’re not prepared to do that, there are other guys who will be given those opportunities.
“I’ve spoken to Carsey a lot and it’s the same message. You need to make good decisions off the field that allow you to be able to be the best version of yourself. As far as Carsey is concerned, it’s a good chance for him now to get his house in order and then push for selection for the next opportunity that arises.”
McCullum’s message was reiterated by his high-profile new arrival, Kevin Pietersen. The former England captain has joined the white-ball backroom team in a mentoring role, adding a sprinkle of stardust and a wealth of experience at the sharp end of the international game.
He has previously been critical of McCullum’s outlook, admonishing the squad for a lack of preparation in India last year as well as raising questions about their approach to the Ashes. Far from counting against him, those views appear to be part of the attraction in a group seeking fresh perspective.
“Kev mentioned it in the dressing room earlier, as well. He said we need to give ourselves every opportunity to try and get to the level and get to the achievements that we want to – and that includes a lot of the responsibilities that we make socially and off the field too,” said McCullum.
“When I rang him the first time and said ‘would you be interested in working with England?’ I think he thought I was joking. He mentioned, ‘I’ve been quite critical of you guys in the past’ and I said ‘I have no problem with that, mate’. There’s parts of it I agree with and parts which I won’t agree with and that’s fine. That’s the beauty of Kev coming in.
“I want him to look across the environment and challenge me privately around ways we can improve or things we can do differently.
“Having someone that has a different take on things is no bad thing. Kev will do that and I’ve encouraged him to do that as well. Our relationship is good, it’s full of respect.”
As for the specific arrangements with Fleming, which will include conversations about selection priorities for multi-format players and a division of backroom staff, McCullum was relaxed.
“Flem and I will catch up in the coming days and we’ll start trying to piece all that together. We’ll have to work through that,” he said.
“He’s one of my best mates. I think it’s a great opportunity for him and the timing is perfect. There’s a bit to unpick but we’ll get there and look forward to doing it with Flem. It’ll be good fun working through it together.”
