Hussain: Flower should replace McCullum - but 'lucky' Key has questions to answer

Nasser Hussain has backed former England head coach Andy Flower to replace Brendon McCullum as Test head coach.

McCullum took over in the spring of 2022, restoring belief in the Test side after winning 11 of his first 13 matches in charge, but a bitterly disappointing 4-1 away Ashes series loss and a barren run of eight losses in the last 12 Tests brought an end to the 'Bazball' era as the ECB announced his departure.

Hussain feels that Flower - who led England to a famous Ashes win in Australia in 2010/11 during his previous five-year tenure - would be the perfect antidote to England's attention to detail crisis under McCullum and Rob Key, the latter of whom the former England captain feels is "lucky" to stay in his job as managing director for the men's team.

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"If you're going to keep Key - whose attention to detail is not his strongest suit - then below, you need to have someone that is absolutely across everything, and doesn't miss a trick," Hussain told Sky Sports News.

"For me, the best person for that would be Andy Flower by a country mile. Flower took England to number one in the world.

"I love Flower's approach to coaching - he was meticulous in everything that he did. That's what's been lacking in this England Test match side.

"I would do anything if I was Rob Key and the ECB to go and get Andy Flower."

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McCullum's England were joy to watch - but right time to go

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Hussain lauded McCullum's early Test tenure, which included impressive series wins against New Zealand and Pakistan along with a 2-2 draw in the 2023 home Ashes series against Australia, but conceded that a change was required after recent results.

"No one is overly thrilled when a coach loses his job, and you do have to remember the great times that Brendon McCullum gave us," Hussain added.

"He is a coach that the brand of cricket - 'Bazball' - was named after. From where England were before him and Stokes, I think it would be wrong not to mention the way they played at the start. They were an absolute joy to watch.

"In the end, it's been a run of seven losses in the last nine Test matches, and with the manner of those defeats, I think it was about the right time.

"I don't think it was the right thing to do for Rob Key to give both the white-ball and the Test jobs to the same person. I think it's the right thing now for McCullum to focus on white-ball cricket.

"[On Saturday], they won at Southampton, they are the number one T20 ranked team in the world - I think his coaching style is suited for white-ball cricket.

"I do think the timing is right."

'Lucky' Key has questions to answer

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Hussain also lamented the recent decision-making of Key, who he feels is fortunate to have retained his role as managing director of England men's cricket:

"Recently everything that I've said about McCullum can be thrown at Key's door: a lacking of attention to detail, even the curfew.

"In the last few days, having to clarify exactly what the curfew means - it tells you where your side are if you're having to have a curfew.

"If you're having to treat grown-up professional sportsmen with curfews, you're not in the right place at the side.

"Giving McCullum [all the roles] was a mistake with the modern schedule.

"I do think the role of having a coach do everything in English cricket is untenable.

"I think [Key] is lucky to have survived the role, given everyone around him has lost theirs. Stokes stood down, McCullum has been sacked, the decisions that he has made has backfired.

"He may have enough good will after how things started, but I do think he's lucky to stay in that role.

"He's now got to get the next decision absolutely spot on."

Athers: Something had to give after Ashes hangover continued

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Former England captain Michael Atherton speaking to Sky Sports News:

"The Test team has been struggling for some time.

"They've lost seven of their last nine, they're languishing somewhere towards the bottom of the World Test Championship, and things have been going south for a while - albeit from a very good start.

"This is really a long hangover from the Ashes. They sold themselves short there - there's obviously been continuing problems since then, with the loss to New Zealand and the off-field stories. Something had to give.

"After the Ashes - that went so badly - [ECB CEO] Richard Gould and [ECB chairman] Richard Thompson decided to show faith in the three men at the heart of a transformation of England's team since 2022.

"But because the Ashes went so badly, it left them with very little wriggle room if things went wrong after that. And things went wrong against New Zealand.

"Not just a home defeat - which is a very rare thing for England in a three-match series - but all the stories around it.

"Added all together, it looked like there was going to be some change - but it's Rob Key who has survived and Brendon McCullum who has paid the penalty around the Test team.

"Something had to give."

England vs India results and fixtures

All times UK and Ireland, all games live on Sky Sports

First T20 (Durham) - Match abandoned

Second T20 (Old Trafford) - England won by four wickets

Third T20 (Trent Bridge) - England won by 125 runs

Fourth T20 (Bristol) - England won by nine wickets

Fifth T20 (Southampton) - England won by 56 runs

First ODI (Edgbaston - Tuesday July 14 (11am)

Second ODI (Cardiff) - Thursday July 16 (1pm)

Third ODI (Lord's) - Sunday July 19 (11am)

Watch Tuesday's first ODI between England and India at Edgbaston live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event from 10.30am (11am first ball). Stream cricket and more sport contract-free with NOW.