Former England bowler Monty Panesar suggests Ravi Shastri as English coach in place of McCullum

Former England bowler Monty Panedar has suggested that Brendon McCullum should be removed as England’s head coach and replaced by former India coach Ravi Shastri, saying that Shastri knows how to beat Australia.

In the ongoing Ashes series, England lost the series 3–0 in the five-match Test series within just 11 days. Following this poor performance, questions are being raised about Brendon McCullum’s future as head coach, especially since England have not won a five-Test series since his appointment.

On the occasion of Christmas, England are set to play their fourth Test, famously known in Australia as the Boxing Day Test. England will be looking to maintain their reputation after suffering defeat in the Ashes. However, ahead of this crucial match, discussions around McCullum’s removal as head coach have intensified. Panesar has suggested that McCullum should be replaced by Ravi Shastri as England’s next head coach, claiming that Shastri knows how to beat Australia. He made this statement because Ravi Shastri is the only Indian coach who defeated Australia in Australia during his tenure as head coach.

Ravi Shastri record in Australia as ‘Head coach’

Under Shastri, India beat Australia twice on Australian soil in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The first came in 2018–19, when India registered their maiden Test series win Down Under. They repeated the achievement in 2020–21, overcoming the infamous “36 all out” in the Adelaide pink-ball Test and managing a squad riddled with injuries. Despite missing several key players, a young Indian team went on to defeat Australia again.

While speaking to journalist Ravi Bisht on his YouTube channel, Panesar said that Ravi Shastri would be the right candidate to coach England as he understands what it takes to beat Australia in their own backyard. He said:

“You have to think: who exactly knows how to beat Australia? How do you take advantage of Australia’s weaknesses — mentally, physically, and tactically? I think Ravi Shastri should become England’s next head coach,” he said.

Brendon McCullum’s record as England head coach

Brendon McCullum was appointed as England’s head coach in 2022. After his appointment, he made several changes to England’s Test cricket approach, introducing an attacking style of play known as ‘Bazball’. While Bazball became popular and attracted fans, the results have told a different story.

Under McCullum, England have lost 16 out of 33 matches and have failed to win a five-Test series against teams like India and Australia since his arrival.

McCullum reacts to removal rumours

Reacting to the reports about his possible removal as head coach, McCullum said,“I don't know. It's not really up to me, is it? I will just keep trying to do the job, try to learn the lessons that I haven't quite got right here and make adjustments. Those questions are for someone else, not for me.”

Speaking to reporters in Melbourne, he added,“Those other decisions are up to other people. I think we've made some progress from when I took over to where we are.”