Michael Vaughan Calls for McCullum, Rob Key to Step Down After Ben Stokes’ Retirement

LONDON: (Sports Desk) – Former England captain Michael Vaughan has called for head coach Brendon McCullum and England’s managing director of cricket Rob Key to resign following Ben Stokes’ retirement from international cricket and England’s disappointing run in Test cricket.

Stokes, 35, announced his retirement after England suffered a crushing 160-run defeat to New Zealand in the third Test at Trent Bridge, sealing a 2-1 series loss. The defeat marked England’s eighth loss in their last 10 Test matches, with victories coming only against Australia at Lord’s and at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Speaking on the Stick to Cricket podcast, Vaughan said England’s recent performances were unacceptable and insisted that “enough is enough.”

“I think Baz McCullum is a great guy, but he’s not a great coach. England should be aiming to be the number one Test team in the world, but we’re currently ranked seventh,” Vaughan said.

He criticised the team’s poor results, claiming their only recent Test wins came on pitches that heavily favoured the home side. Vaughan argued that English cricket needed fresh leadership and urged the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to make changes.

The former skipper also questioned Rob Key’s role, saying the managing director should also be held accountable for England’s decline in both Test and white-ball cricket since appointing McCullum as coach in 2022.

Stokes backs Harry Brook as England’s next Test captain

Vaughan compared the current setup with former England coach Andy Flower’s tenure, suggesting the team would not have produced such poor results under his leadership.

England will next play India in a T20 International before beginning their Test series against Pakistan in August at Headingley.