Brendan McCullum is “very confident” Jos Buttler is still England's man to beat in white-ball cricket and hopes the captaincy will become “less miserable” with the Buttler taking over as team manager.
McCullum will cover all formats from early next year, adding a limited-overs role to his Test role since 2022, with the New Zealander signing a contract extension until 2027.
Ben Stokes, 42, the red-ball captain, has invigorated the Test team with his attacking mentality and England will aim to beat Sri Lanka 3-0 live from Thursday. Sky Sports.
McCollum said Buttler was England's best white-ball player.
One of McCullum's main goals as a white-ball coach is to help Buttler enjoy his time again. England missed out on both the 50-over and T20 World Cup titles last year, and the captain has often looked depressed, especially after being knocked out in the first round of the 50-over tournament in India in 2023.
“I'm very confident in Buttler as captain,” McCullum said at The Kia Oval on Wednesday. “What I hope for Jos is that he enjoys the next few years.
“If he retired tomorrow, he would probably go down as the greatest white-ball player England has ever produced. So, however long he plays, there's a chance he'll play with a smile on his face and no one's guarding him. My job is to push him in that direction.
“He can be a bit of a troublemaker at times, and he's not as naturally expressive as some people, but he's done a great job.
“He won a World Cup as captain and was part of a previous World Cup winning team (2022 T20 Australia). He is a talented player and a great leader.
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Michael Atherton says McCullum will face a tough challenge coaching the England Test and one-day squads despite the slightly relaxed fixture schedule.
“My job is to get the best out of him and make sure the players in the dressing room feel solid and 10ft tall and that the captain will give them a pat on the back and have a good time with them.”
McCullum excited about England's white-ball talent
McCollum continued: “I think he's going to bring the positivity and style that I love in all formats and I think that's going to give us a good chance of being successful.
“The white-ball team have had dynasties since (Eoin Morgan) started. They have won World Cups, they have had once-in-a-generation players emerge at the same time.
“Now there is a natural regeneration and that is what excites me. I look around at the talent and they have learnt how to play from cricketers who come once in a generation.”
McCullum believes Test captain Stokes was “all in” to continue in the role until 2027, and said the all-rounder was “happy” to be playing in the white-ball role before accepting an offer from England Cricket Board executive director Rob Key.
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Ben Stokes says it is 'unbelievable' that McCullum will now coach both the white-ball and red-ball England teams.
McCollum hopes Stokes, 33, will be fit to play limited-overs cricket for his country again, despite being sidelined by a hamstring injury, having undergone surgery on a chronic left knee problem and recently prioritising Test cricket.
However, he stressed that England still need to look after their diverse players and rotate players despite the increasingly tight international schedule.
On Stokes, McCollum said: “When it comes to the white ball, why not? We'll see where he sits. He likes the big moments and the big stage (but) our players can't do everything.
“There are going to be some quantum series where we can't have all of our top players playing at the same time, but for major events or big series, there's a lot of discussion about those players.”
McCullum: Other coaches have a chance to step up
McCollum said the friendly schedule ahead would allow England to have one coach to take charge of all forms of cricket, and Key said he split the duties when he first took charge, giving McCollum the Test duties and Matthew Mott the white-ball cricket duties.
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Nasser Hussain looks at McCullum's upcoming challenges as white-ball captain.
But he said there is still room for a break and that backroom staff could take over as caretaker manager.
“It was definitely going to be an extra workload, but I didn't spend a lot of time trying to convince them. I saw the opportunity and thought, 'This is a great opportunity to take advantage of,'” McCollum said.
“It can be a challenge at times, but that's the most exciting part of doing this. Sometimes you get pressured, your methods and your vision get challenged, so it's important to stay strong and let the players excel.
“For the past two years, it's been nearly impossible for one person to do all three formats, but the schedule has relaxed enough that it's now possible for one person to do the role.
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England's caretaker white-ball coach Marcus Trescothick has revealed he has no hard and fast plan for how he will lead his side against Australia.
“There are times when you have to be smart about when you bring in and when you withdraw support staff. I'm one of those people, but I don't see that as a problem.
“It will give other coaches an opportunity to step up as head coaches like (Marcus Trescosick) is doing (against Australia this month and the West Indies in the autumn).
“When I leave in three and a half years, I hope that the next group of coaches or the people you bring in will be viable candidates for manager.”
England vs Australia schedule – All matches will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
- 1st T20 (September 11) – Ageas Bowl, Southampton (6.30pm kick-off)
- 2nd T20 (September 13) – Sophia Gardens, Cardiff (starts at 6.30pm)
- 3rd T20 (September 15) – Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester (2.30pm kick-off)
- 1st ODI (September 19) – Trent Bridge, Nottingham (starts at 12.30pm)
- 2nd ODI (September 21) – Headingley, Leeds (starts at 11am)
- 3rd ODI (September 24) – Seat Unique Riverside, Durham (starts at 12:30pm)
- 4th ODI (September 27) – Lord's, London (starts at 12.30pm)
- 5th ODI (29th September) – The Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol (11am kick-off)
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