Former New Zealand captain and wicket-keeper batter Brendon McCullum has been appointed England's Test-head coach for four years. Following his appointment, McCullum will step down from his role as Kolkata Knight Riders' head coach after the conclusion of the ongoing IPL season. The former New Zealand cricketer played 101 Tests between 2004 and 2016 and amassed 6453 runs at an average of 38.64, with the highest score of 302 against India in 2014.

McCullum's appointment came as a series of changes being made in England's Test team after a string of poor results in red-ball cricket. Earlier, Ben Stokes was appointed as Test captain after Joe Root stepped down from his duty following a poor stint in Ashes and a 1-0 series loss in the West Indies. Rob Key was recently appointed as the Managing Director of the men's team.

McCullum has been appointed after Chris Silverwood departed from the role after Englishmen suffered a whitewash in the Ashes. Notably, McCullum has coaching experience in franchise cricket as the head coach of Kolkata Knight Rirders in IPL and was the head coach of the CPL franchise Trinbago Knight Riders.

Brendon McCullum CPL
McCullum never shies away from innovating on the flyAshley Allen - CPL T20/Getty Images

The newly appointed head coach is pleased after being trusted to guide a quality side and contribute to the welfare of England cricket, which already has a rich history. "I'd like to say how pleased I am to be given this opportunity to positively contribute to England's Test cricket set-up and move the team forward into a more successful era," McCullum said in an ECB press release.

Adding further, he stated that he is aware of the team's challenges and feels confident about improving the situation. England is currently languishing at the bottom of the ICC World Test Championships 2021-23 table, and McCullum's primary job will be to improve his side's standings in the points table. McCullum will get plenty of opportunities this summer, as England will lock host New Zealand, following with one pending Test match against India and a three-match Test series against South Africa.