'We need to show some humility,' says England coach McCullum

The Hindu

21-05-2025

England head coach Brendon McCullum feels his players have lacked humility in their recent public utterances and he would like to see them win back respect from fans ahead of the tough home series against India and the Ashes later this year.
McCullum, while speaking to the media ahead of a lone Test against Zimbabwe starting Thursday (May 22, 2025) in Nottingham, said 'the players need to be more attuned to public mood'.
"It's not just about what you do on the cricket field. It's how you carry yourself. It's how you interact with the public. It's the messaging that you give," McCullum told the British media.
"The ability these guys have to be able to play on the biggest stage, under the brightest lights and the pressure that takes is one thing, but also the ability to be humble and show some humility and not feel out of touch with the general population is something I'd like to see us improve on."
England's players have drawn criticism for their seemingly nonchalant attitude towards on-field setbacks, the most recent being a winless Champions Trophy campaign in Pakistan. They were also lambasted by former batting star Kevin Pietersen for playing golf while skipping training during a poor limited-overs tour of India before the Champions Trophy.
England are playing a one-off Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge before next month's marquee series at home against India and the away Ashes rubber in Australia.
McCullum's remarks come after comments made by some players dismissing criticism came under scrutiny, forcing England's director of cricket Rob Key to say that they need to "stop talking rubbish".
Even last month, fast bowler Mark Wood admitted that they can be "a bit dumb".
"We've just got to be a bit smarter with some of our comments. What we say in that dressing room is often very different to what you expect to come out in a public forum," McCullum said.
'We've got we just got to be aware of that, smart enough to be able to make sure that we articulate things when we get the opportunity so that we don't we don't lose touch with the English people'.
McCullum said he and his team want the fans to be proud of the team.
"We want them along for the ride, particularly in the next few series, which could be quite amazing.
'We want people to look back and say, 'Crikey, that team in the mid-2020s was a hell of a team that we loved following, and we felt as if we were a part of that journey they went on.'
Since taking charge of the team in 2022, McCullum changed England's style of play, popularly called the 'Bazball' approach, which emphasises on taking positive decisions in attack and defence both with bat and ball.
The move paid dividends initially, as from one win in 17 Tests prior to McCullum's era, England emerged victorious in 10 of their next 11 matches.
England are currently second in the world rankings, but of late, they have been guilty of producing some sloppy performances. To add to it, England lost all their matches in Champions Trophy in February this year.
"If we look at it at the start, people were excited by the way we played," said McCullum.
"They were enthralled by the freewheeling type of cricket and they felt...With a bit of idle time, we get the opportunity to retrospectively look at things and see where things have been over the last few years...what we've achieved, opportunities we've let slip...," the former New Zealand captain added.