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Brendon McCullum does a U-turn, admits mistake after England's humiliation in Ashes: 'I didn't get preparation right'
England coach Brendon McCullum acknowledged the scrutiny following their 3-0 Ashes defeat to Australia.
England coach, Brendon McCullum, admitted his side’s build-up will come under scrutiny after Australia sealed the Ashes with an 82-run win in the third Test at the Adelaide Oval, taking an unassailable 3-0 lead.
With two matches still left in the series, England now head to Melbourne looking for a response in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG starting December 26.
Speaking to TNT Sports, McCullum said the questions would be unavoidable after a clean sweep in the first three games.
“What did we get right? What did we get wrong? Probably we go back to the preparation, that’ll be something that gets questioned,” McCullum said.
“And when you have lost 3-0, you need to put your hand up and say ‘maybe I didn’t get that preparation right’.” He added it was about both the lead-in to the first game and the second. “I didn’t get that right because we lost 3-0. Lots to digest, look through, and be better next time.”
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Looking ahead, McCullum said England would assess conditions in Melbourne before deciding whether changes are needed for the fourth Test. “We’ll have a look at the conditions (in Melbourne) and, as we always do, we’ll try and work out what we think will give us the best chance in that game. If that’s changes, it’s changes. If it’s not, it’s not,” he said.
Brendon McCullum admitted England had been outplayed across all three Tests so far. But he stated that he saw encouraging signs in Adelaide, where they chased a down record 435. “We do have a great opportunity in the next two Tests. We need to find something out of this tour, salvage some pride and play for all the people who came to Australia to support this team and all the people back in England who have supported this team as well,” he said.
