Brendon McCullum has given a ringing endorsement to Jos Buttler's future as England's white-ball captain and hopes the wicketkeeperbatter will enjoy his cricket over the coming years. The all-format contract of McCullum has been extended to 2027 as he prepares to transition from his coaching of England's Test team into the white-ball team role next year. A bigger task would be restoring England's success in major tournaments after they failed to defend the T20 and ODI World Cup titles in a span of one year.
"I am very confident in Buttler as captain. What I want from Jos is for him to enjoy the next three to four years. If he retired tomorrow, he would probably go down as the greatest white-ball player England has produced so there is a chance for however long he plays to not protect anything and play with a smile on his face. My job is to push him towards that," McCullum said ahead of England's third Test against Sri Lanka at The Oval on Friday.
"He has been a little bit miserable at times, he is not naturally as expressive as some, but he has done a great job. He has won a World Cup as captain - the T20 title in Australia in 2022 - and has been part of World Cup-winning teams previously. He is a gifted player and a fine leader."
"My job is to get the best out of him so players in the dressing room feel bulletproof and 10 feet tall and know the skipper is going to give them that extra pat on the back and enjoy the ride with them," he added.
McCullum also welcomed the fact that Test skipper Ben Stokes was on board with his extended tenure to 2027 and stated that he would be interested in seeing whether Stokes would carry on his white-ball career. The all-rounder Stokes, who had retired from ODIs but played in the 2023 World Cup and opted out of this year's T20 World Cup for a focus on Test cricket, continues to be an integral part.
"The skipper and I haven't spoken about that actually but I'm assuming he's all in. He seems to like that sort of bloke. He's been incredible and our relationship is fantastic. You never know where the game's going globally and what sort of opportunities will pop up for him which will challenge him."
But I know how much he invests in English cricket, how desperate he is to drive this team forward. I'd assume that will entail him being at the forefront of that period of time. White ball, why not? We shall see where he sits, said McCullum.
He loves big moments and big stages, but our players can't play everything. There will be some bilateral series where we can't have all our best players at the same time, but when it comes to major events and big series those players are very much in discussions. Ben loves big moments and big stages."
McCullum added on the challenge of overseeing coaching in all formats: "It's going to be a challenge, but I just can't wait." Trescothick takes over as acting head coach for the white-ball games against Australia.
"I don't see it being a problem. There are going to be times when that's tested, but that's the exciting part. As a player, I had a pretty good ability to be able to turn the page, because I was very inconsistent. I needed to turn the page quickly. It is going to be an added workload, that's for sure, but I didn't take a whole lot of persuading."
"I looked at the opportunity and thought, 'What a chance to have a good crack'. At times you may be tested but that's the exciting part of doing jobs like this, but some bets are worth it, right? You are put under pressure at times, and your methods and vision are challenged, so it's about remaining firm and getting players to excel."
Over the last two years, it would have been nigh on impossible to do all three formats, but with the schedule easing enough, it gives you the ability to have one person in the role. There will be times where we have to be smart with stepping support staff in and out and that will include myself, but I don't see that as a problem.
"It will give other coaches an opportunity to step up in a head coach capacity, as is the case with Marcus Trescothick doing it this month against Australia and in the autumn against West Indies. When I leave in three and a half years, you want the next group of coaches or those you have brought along to be viable head coach candidates," he added.
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