The England Test players with the most to lose after Brendon McCullum's exit: Who stays and who could make way

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The England Test players with the most to lose after Brendon McCullum's exit: Who stays and who could make way originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Brendon McCullum sacked as England Test coach; Andy Flower emerges as favourite replacement.
• Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith and Jacob Bethell must perform or perish.
• New coach might not hand them a bigger safety net.

End of Bazball: England's test stars face uncertain futures after Brendon McCullum's exit​

Brendon McCullum's removal as England's Test head coach has thrown open a genuine leadership vacuum for the England and Wales Cricket Board, arriving at the worst possible moment with a home Ashes series looming next summer.

McCullum walked into the role back in 2022 and transformed England's fortunes almost overnight, winning 11 of his opening 13 matches and reviving a team that had lost its way. But that early magic faded considerably, capped off by a bruising 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia and a wretched stretch of eight losses in the last 12 Tests.

That slide, worsened by a shock home series loss to New Zealand and captain Ben Stokes' sudden retirement from international cricket weeks earlier, ultimately proved too much for the ECB to overlook.

MORE: DK reveals if Flower will leave RCB to join England Test side

McCullum remains in charge of England's white-ball sides, having just overseen a commanding 4-0 series win over India and a return to the top of the T20I rankings, but the red-ball job now needs an entirely new voice.

Zimbabwean coaching great Andy Flower has quickly emerged as the frontrunner to take charge, according to multiple reports, having previously guided England to the world number one Test ranking and a famous Ashes win in Australia back in 2010-11.

His tenure eventually unravelled amid tensions with Kevin Pietersen and a chastening 5-0 Ashes whitewash in 2013-14, but Flower has since rebuilt his reputation through successful stints in franchise cricket, most notably leading Royal Challengers Bengaluru to IPL glory, a run that's earned him renewed admiration from voices like former England captain Nasser Hussain.

MORE: Flower can be England Test team's Tuchel: Vaughan

Ben Duckett's place under threat​

Among the players whose futures now look shakier is opener Ben Duckett, arguably the batter who benefited most from McCullum's aggressive philosophy after being largely overlooked in the Test setup before his arrival.

Duckett burst onto the scene playing without fear, regularly taking games away from the opposition inside a single session. However, plenty of critics started wondering out loud whether all that aggression was costing him his wicket more often than it should.

The numbers paint a fairly split picture. Across ten Tests in 2025, he put together 735 runs, averaging just north of 40, a strike rate that looked great on paper, but an average that's not exactly eye-catching by the usual standards Test batters get judged on.

Things got tougher still during the 2025-26 Ashes, where he could only manage 202 runs from five matches at an average of 20.20. That kind of dip naturally prompts people to ask whether England might be better served by someone at the top who's capable of grinding it out and holding firm when conditions turn tricky.

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Jacob Bethell's time to prove in red-ball cricket​

Jacob Bethell presents a different kind of challenge altogether. A standout white-ball talent, he has been inconsistent in the longest format despite flashes of brilliance, including a century in Australia.

Across nine Tests, he averages 34.05 with four fifties and one hundred, numbers that suggest genuine promise but not yet the consistency required at the crucial number three position.

Bethell now faces a stark career choice between prioritising lucrative IPL commitments and fighting to secure his long-term Test spot. However, if Flower is indeed appointed the coach, then things could favour him.

He is familiar with the coach's methods since their time together at Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and he might be handed a bigger safety net if the Zimbabwean takes charge.

MORE: Did delayed McCullum sacking as Test coach 'cost' England Ben Stokes?

Jamie Smith's glovework under the scanner​

Wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith, another product of the Bazball era, has similarly struggled to maintain early promise. Touted as the long-term successor to Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes, Smith's aggressive batting has often lacked composure under pressure, and his glovework has drawn criticism too.

His numbers dropped from 577 runs at an average of 41.21 in 2025 to just 173 runs at 28.83 across three matches this year, including a modest home series against New Zealand and a difficult Ashes tour where he managed only 211 runs at 23.44.

However, the biggest talking point is his work behind the wickets. He has been criticised for drops in concentration which have cost England dearly.

Unlike a specialist batter or bowler having an off day, a struggling wicketkeeper offers little cover for the rest of the side. Although the new coach might prefer him as a batter, his glovework must show significant improvement to seal a long-term berth in the Test team.

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Joe Root, Jofra Archer, and The Untouchables​

Joe Root remains as close to a guaranteed selection as English cricket has, with his standing as the country's greatest-ever Test batter putting him beyond the reach of any coaching reshuffle, even after stepping in as stand-in captain for the Oval Test against New Zealand in Stokes' absence.

Jofra Archer, similarly, looks set to continue regardless of who takes over in the coaching setup, given the value a fit and firing genuine fast bowler brings to any Test attack, English or otherwise.

Josh Tongue has also strengthened his case in recent months, and although he failed to pick up a wicket at Trent Bridge, he was impressive at Lord's and The Oval.

The biggest shift in leadership, however, looks set to happen at the very top. With Ben Stokes having stepped away from international cricket altogether, Harry Brook has emerged as the clear favourite to inherit the Test captaincy, having already been serving as vice-captain and currently leading England's white-ball sides.

Stokes himself has publicly thrown his full support behind Brook as his successor, while other senior voices within English cricket have echoed the same view.

Meanwhile, opening batter Emilio Gay appears to be cementing his place through sheer consistency rather than reputation. His gutsy 57 on a heavily criticised Lord's pitch proved worth far more than the number suggested, given how difficult conditions were, and he followed it up with an equally composed 53 off 114 balls at the Oval, showcasing the kind of temperament selectors want to build around.

Even his run-out mishap with Duckett, born more from proactive intent than carelessness, did little to dent the growing belief that Gay could be a fixture at the top of the order for years to come.

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A big tactical reshuffle on the cards after the Bazball era​

England's decision to part ways with McCullum in Tests while retaining him in white-ball cricket reflects a pragmatic, if slightly unusual, compromise, rewarding genuine white-ball success while acknowledging that red-ball results had become unsustainable.

Andy Flower's track record makes him an obvious safe pair of hands, but his more conservative, discipline-first approach represents a philosophical departure from the freewheeling Bazball era, and players who thrived under McCullum's aggressive ethos, like Duckett and Smith, may find themselves needing to adapt quickly or risk losing their places entirely.

Ultimately, England's challenge isn't just appointing the right coach; it's deciding whether to preserve the attacking identity Bazball built, or rebuild around older, more calculated cricketing values ahead of a defining home Ashes series. And if we go by the chatter in the English press, it is more likely that the tactical reset will see the Three Lions dig deep, grind, and snd put a heavier price on their wicket than they did in the McCullum era.

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