Brendon McCullum has apologized to England fans following his dismissal as Test coach, citing the team's failure to win any series against Australia and India during his four-year tenure. McCullum confirmed he was sacked, rather than choosing to step down, and acknowledged the team's results were insufficient.
"Fundamentally, we just weren’t quite able to win those two marquee series. We weren’t able to get the results in those, and for that I guess I can only say sorry," McCullum stated. He was removed from his post on Sunday, but will continue to coach England's white-ball teams.
McCullum denied that his coaching philosophy promoted reckless play. Instead, he described his method as fostering an environment where players could perform at their best under pressure. "We didn’t always get it right, and I accept that," he added.
His immediate focus shifts to rebuilding the fortunes of the one-day team, with the first of three 50-over matches against India scheduled to take place soon. "I've got the enthusiasm for it," McCullum said. "With the World Cup not too far away, we've got an opportunity to get ourselves in a position where we're a realistic chance of lifting the trophy."