England 11/2 to win 2026 T20 World Cup following Brendon McCullum's white-ball appointment

Brendon McCullum will take full control of England's senior international cricket teams after agreeing a deal that will see him lead both white-ball sides from 2025 onwards.

The vacancy arose following Matthew Mott's departure, with the Australian leaving his role in light of another underwhelming major tournament performance at the T20 World Cup in June.

Having initially decided to split the role of Test and limited-overs coach, England's managing director Rob Key has sought to unify all formats once again by appointing McCullum to administrate all three teams.

With fixture congestion easing in the new year, McCullum will undertake his expanded position in January. In the process of committing to England's white-ball rebuild, the Kiwi has signed a contract extension until the end of 2027.

On his unveiling as white-ball coach, McCullum said: "This new challenge is something I'm ready to embrace, and I'm eager to work closely with (captain) Jos Buttler and the team to build on the strong foundations already in place.

"Key's vision for the future of English cricket is something that really resonated with me. The idea of a unified coaching structure made perfect sense.

"I'm energised by the prospect of guiding both teams. The talent within English cricket is immense."

McCullum will aim to oversee a swift return to the dominating performances that helped England become the first men’s side to hold both World Cup trophies simultaneously.

His first assignment will be a white-ball series against India which consists of five T20 matches and three ODI fixtures.

The 42-year-old will face a defining period starting with a pivotal Ashes series Down Under in November 2025, where England will look to lift the urn for the first time in 10 years.

There will be little respite for McCullum with England in T20 World Cup action a month later and in 2027, McCullum will have to balance a home Ashes series with preparations for the ODI World Cup, which is set to be hosted in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.

England are priced at 11/2 to triumph in the T20 World Cup with McCullum at the helm and they're the same price to succeed in the 50-over tournament.

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Test side reinvigorated

England's Test side was in the doldrums when McCullum was introduced in May 2022.

Accompanied by newly-appointed captain Ben Stokes, the pair have rejuvenated the red-ball format by incorporating a front-foot, aggressive style. In other words, 'Bazball'.

The contrast in fortune under McCullum has been startling. The Test team had won just one of their previous 17 matches prior to his arrival; they've won 19 of 28 since, including history-making triumphs over Pakistan in Rawalpindi and India in Hyderabad.

Now orchestrating a major rebuild of the Test squad, McCullum and England selectors are identifying unpolished gems in domestic cricket and integrating them into the national team setup, with the likes of Gus Atkinson and Shoaib Bashir flourishing since their induction.

Such selection bravery will bode well for both white-ball squads and McCullum will not be afraid to shake things up.

A monster player across all formats

McCullum has a fine pedigree in the white-ball format as both a player and coach.

The Kiwi's coaching philosophy echoes his swashbuckling playing style, with McCullum one of the most formidable batters to have graced all three formats, especially Twenty20.

In the Indian Premier League's first-ever match he set the highest individual score in a T20 match, notching up an unbeaten 158* for the Kolkata Knight Riders.

Further records tumbled in other domestic leagues, including the T20 Blast, and McCullum was equally successful with the New Zealand national team, captaining them to finals in the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy and 2015 World Cup.

Before his time as England Test coach he enjoyed success with Trinbago in the Caribbean Premier League and led Kolkata to the final of the 2021 IPL, demonstrating his credentials in the shorter formats.

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