Can Brendon McCullum resurrect red-ball cricket in England? Here's what the legend has to say

England appointed Brendon McCullum as their head coach for the longest format in the hope to resurrect their team. The team has not had the best time in red-ball cricket in the recent past. They have not won a Test series since January 2021. In the last 17 games, they have only managed one win. Their performances have been below-par, to say the least.

The former Kiwi player will take charge of the team from the home series against New Zealand, starting 2nd June. When it comes to the state of Test cricket throughout the world, McCullum feels that it is on the decline, but he believes it can be revived.

"I think for me red-ball cricket has always been the pinnacle of the sport, if you look at where the game sits currently, it’s probably on a bit of a downward trend and to me the nation that can really change that is England," McCullum told Sky Sports.

'Because of the tradition of Test cricket here in England and I guess the fan following and the support that it gets in this country. For us to be competitive in Test cricket, I think will go a long way in trying to be able to hopefully just shift that a little bit in terms of the perception of red-ball cricket moving forward," he added.

English cricket has been in a bit of turmoil in the past few months. Since their 0-4 Ashes humiliation by arch-rivals Australia in December-January, the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) went on to make major changes to their system and team management. Head coach Chris Silverwood was fired. Moreover, Rob Key took over as managing director of the England cricket team, replacing his old England teammate Ashley Giles.

England's last Test appearance was in a three-match series against the West Indies, in which they lost 0-1. Following the defeat, Joe Root stepped down as England's red-ball captain. Thus, he was replaced by star all-rounder Ben Stokes.