Delhi: After the poor performance in the Ashes series 2025-26 being played in Australia, serious questions have been raised on the role of England cricket team head coach Brendon McCullum. The England team is continuously performing poorly, especially in Test cricket. Meanwhile, former England spinner Monty Panesar has given a big suggestion and said that Ravi Shastri should be made the next head coach of England.

Pressure increased after losing the Ashes series

After losing the Ashes series, Panesar believes that now England should think seriously about changes at the top level. According to him, the current situation indicates that the team needs leadership with new thinking and a strong mentality.

Australia needs a coach with winning mentality

During a conversation on journalist Ravi Bisht’s YouTube channel, Monty Panesar said that England should look for a coach who has the experience and confidence to defeat Australia in its own conditions. According to Panesar, the question is who is the person who understands the mental, physical and strategic weaknesses of the Australian team and can take advantage of them properly. In this context, he said the name of Ravi Shastri was most appropriate.

Ravi Shastri’s strong record in Australia

This suggestion of Panesar is completely based on the coaching record of Ravi Shastri. During Shastri’s tenure, the Indian team created history by winning the Border-Gavaskar Trophy twice in a row in Australia. India won the Test series in Australia for the first time in 2018-19 and then repeated this feat in the away season in 2020-21 under Shastri’s coaching. These successes gave Shastri a distinct identity as a winning coach in Australia.

The beginning and subsequent decline of the McCullum era

It is noteworthy that Brendon McCullum was appointed the head coach of England in May 2022, when the team had to face a crushing 4-0 defeat against Australia in the Ashes. After becoming the coach, McCullum, along with captain Ben Stokes, made major changes in the team’s strategy and style of play. Its initial impact was also visible and England won 10 out of the first 11 Test matches under his leadership.

However, this great start could not last long. After this, England’s performance graph went down and the team had to face defeat in 16 out of the next 33 Test matches. Amidst this declining performance, the debate regarding McCullum’s coaching and future has intensified, in which Monty Panesar’s statement about Ravi Shastri is giving rise to a new discussion.