ECB Cari Pelatih Baru Setelah Brendon McCullum Dipecat

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) langsung bergerak menyusun daftar kandidat untuk mencari pengganti Brendon McCullum yang resmi dipecat dari jabatan pelatih kepala tim Test Inggris pada Minggu, 12 Juli 2026. Pemecatan McCullum dilakukan setelah timnas Inggris menelan tujuh kekalahan dari sembilan pertandingan Test terakhir, yang juga menandai berakhirnya era agresif "Bazball" menyusul pensiunnya kapten Ben Stokes. Selama empat tahun kepemimpinannya sejak Juni 2022 hingga Juli 2026, Inggris mencatatkan 27 kemenangan, 20 kekalahan, dan dua hasil imbang dalam 49 pertandingan Test, termasuk kegagalan merebut kembali piala Ashes dari Australia.

Chief Executive ECB Richard Gould menjelaskan bahwa proses seleksi pelatih baru ini akan dilakukan secara terarah oleh tim manajemen kriket Inggris.

"It will be a targeted selection process. We often do a lot of work in terms of planning as to succession – I will always keep a shortlist going of coaches and various other positions and in truth, this position is probably one where the shortlist is no more than six to 10 names globally of a diverse nature," ujar Richard Gould, Chief Executive ECB kepada BBC Sport. Gould menambahkan bahwa proses diskusi akan segera dimulai di bawah pimpinan Managing Director Kriket Pria Rob Key.

"In terms of conversations, they will start to happen now and [managing director of men's cricket] Rob Key will be leading on those," kata Richard Gould, Chief Executive ECB. Pelatih baru yang terpilih nantinya akan dilibatkan langsung dalam penentuan kapten tim yang baru untuk menggantikan Ben Stokes.

"When you look at the skills we've got and the talents we've got within the team, it is a team that has been playing relatively aggressive cricket," tutur Richard Gould, Chief Executive ECB mengenai gaya bermain tim saat ini. Meskipun demikian, Gould menegaskan bahwa pelatih pengganti tidak harus mempertahankan gaya permainan agresif tersebut dan bisa menyesuaikan dengan pola permainan baru. "But there are always options for the pattern of play to change depending on what the coach wants and where the coach believes those skillsets are," ucap Richard Gould, Chief Executive ECB.

Pihak ECB menargetkan pelatih baru sudah bisa bertugas saat seri pertandingan melawan Pakistan pada Agustus mendatang.

"It's going to have to be an individual that complements the skillsets we've got in the players and can bring the very best out of them," kata Richard Gould, Chief Executive ECB. Namun, pihak manajemen juga membuka peluang untuk menunjuk pelatih sementara jika calon pelatih utama masih terikat kontrak di kompetisi franchise atau kriket internasional lainnya. "Clearly the individuals that will be within our shortlist will have other commitments – they may be international cricket, they may be county cricket, they may be franchise cricket, and we'll need to work through those," jelas Richard Gould, Chief Executive ECB.

Gould juga menambahkan bahwa opsi sistem kerja fleksibel yang memungkinkan pelatih tetap melatih di level franchise akan dipertimbangkan.

"An interim solution could be in place if it allows us to get to the best possible decision later on down the line," pungkas Richard Gould, Chief Executive ECB. Beberapa nama besar kini masuk dalam radar pengamatan, termasuk mantan pelatih Inggris Andy Flower, serta nama lain seperti Jonathan Trott dan Andrew Flintoff.

"Andy Flower would be the top target, but I think it's highly unlikely he takes the job," cetus Steven Finn, mantan bowler Inggris. Menurut Finn, posisi pelatih kepala tim nasional Inggris memiliki tingkat tekanan dan pengawasan yang jauh lebih tinggi dibandingkan dengan melatih tim franchise.

"I think you would need a very fat cheque book to go to Andy Flower, because the scrutiny is a level on top of what you experience in franchise cricket," tambah Steven Finn, mantan bowler Inggris. Ia menilai Flower yang sukses membawa Inggris menjuarai Ashes 2010-11 kini telah berkembang pesat setelah melatih di berbagai liga dunia. "You need that ability to have a debate but then come out of it on the same page. I've not been coached by Andy Flower since he was England coach but he's softened just slightly from the person he was then to the person he is now," urai Steven Finn, mantan bowler Inggris.

Selain Flower, nama Jonathan Trott yang sukses membawa Afghanistan tampil mengejutkan di Piala Dunia 2023 juga menjadi opsi yang menarik bagi tim nasional.

"Jonathan Trott is someone to keep an eye on because he is shaped and moulded in the form of Andy Flower, both as a player and in the way that he's coached," tutur Steven Finn, mantan bowler Inggris. Finn menilai pengalaman melatih di situasi penuh tekanan bersama Afghanistan menjadi modal berharga bagi Trott untuk naik level. "He's had to deal with quite a volatile situation by coaching Afghanistan for the last four or five years. That would grow you up as a coach quite quickly," puji Steven Finn, mantan bowler Inggris.

Sementara itu, pertandingan Test pertama Inggris pasca-pemecatan McCullum dijadwalkan berlangsung melawan Pakistan di Headingley pada 19 Agustus 2026.