Following Ben Stokes’s retirement from international cricket, former England captain Michael Vaughan has called on director Rob Key and head coach Brendon McCullum to step down.
During a devastating 160-run loss to New Zealand in the third Test at Trent Bridge on Sunday, which condemned his team to a 1-2 series loss, all-rounder Stokes, 35, proclaimed the end of his reign as England captain and the conclusion of his illustrious international career.
Following losses to Australia and New Zealand as well as a home draw with India, England has now only won two of their past ten Test matches.
Vaughan, who led England to 2005 Ashes glory, said “enough is enough”, telling the Stick to Cricket podcast that England’s coaching setup needs a major overhaul: “When I saw that on the fourth evening last week, I went ‘nah, we can’t accept that’ as ex-players in the game.
“And it was that period that I watched and I went ‘nah, enough is enough’. English cricket has got to be better than that.”
Following England’s terrible 1-4 Ashes series defeat in Australia in January, Key and McCullum, a former captain of New Zealand, were under pressure.
Vaughan added: “I think Baz McCullum is a great guy but he’s not a great coach and for England –- as ex-players and fans of English cricket -– we should be aiming to be the number-one team in the world and at the minute we are ranked seventh.”
“We’ve won two games in 10 matches, and those two wins have come at Lord’s on a cesspit and the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) which was a two-dayer, so the only two games that we’ve won have been on farmers’ fields (poor pitches). That can’t be right.
“I want change. I’ve seen enough. I care passionately about English cricket and I hate watching that and you can’t tell me that the 20-odd thousand (fans) aren’t thinking the same,” insisted 51-year-old former Yorkshire batsman Vaughan.
“When you’ve got the opposition in your own back yard laughing at you, enough is enough. We need to move on.”
Key is in charge of the coaching and selection system and took over Ashley Giles’ position as general director of cricket in 2022.
In May 2022, Key selected McCullum as England Test coach; but, in September 2024, the New Zealander was appointed to all three formats. Vaughan suggests that former England batsman Key’s status should also be questioned, as England’s performance in white-ball cricket has also declined.
“I’m so frustrated watching it, it’s laughable,” said Vaughan. You’ve got to say that Rob Key’s job is on the line. It has to be on the line. It wouldn’t surprise me if Rob Key goes.
“They’re not being well coached. You are telling me if (former England coach) Andy Flower was in charge…this team would be getting the results they are getting? No chance.”
The series opener against Pakistan at Headingley in August will be England’s next Test.
