Piers Morgan has publicly criticized the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for its timing in announcing the sacking of men's Test coach Brendon McCullum. The announcement was made midway through the third day of the England women's team's historic Test match against India at Lord's, a decision that has drawn accusations of sexism and overshadowing the women's game.
Sports reporter Elizabeth Ammon commented on X that the ECB seemed to be making efforts to overshadow the women's team's achievements. "Could the ECB have not waited 24 hours to announce that (news of McCullum's sacking)?" Ammon wrote. "They and their man have literally done their very, very best this summer to overshadow everything the women tried to do."
Former England women's cricketer Alex Hartley also voiced her disapproval on the BBC's Test Match Special. "It just doesn't make sense, wait until Tuesday," Hartley stated. "This game is done in the fact that England aren't going to win this Test match, but there's a Test match to save. It's historic. There's an ODI series starting Tuesday and I completely understand that they want to get the news out before then but, I'm sorry, there's something more important for me and women's cricket."
The women's team faced a significant defeat in the match, scoring 170 in their first innings and being bowled out for 187 in their second, falling short by 270 runs. During the match, bowler Issy Wong was filmed solving a Rubik's Cube and celebrating before attempting to throw a shirt to a fan, which was blown away by the wind. This footage drew criticism on social media, with some users questioning the team's demeanor while on the verge of a large loss.
Piers Morgan weighed in on the Rubik's Cube incident, posting on X that "If a male player did this while England were being thrashed, all hell would break loose." He described Hartley's comments as "a load of tosh," adding, "The England women's team were so interested in their own Test match they were playing Rubik's cubes and throwing shirts over fans."
McCullum's departure comes after a period of disappointing results for the men's Test side, including a 2-1 series defeat to New Zealand, which marked England's first home series loss of three or more matches in 13 years. McCullum's tenure saw 27 wins, 20 defeats, and two draws in 49 Tests. He expressed pride in the team's achievements and stated his focus would now shift to England's white-ball teams. Andy Flower is considered a favorite to succeed McCullum. The ECB has not publicly commented on the controversy surrounding the timing of McCullum's dismissal announcement.