3 biggest controversies in England cricket under Brendon McCullum

Former New Zealand cricketer Brendon McCullum has been removed from his position as England’s Test head coach. McCullum brought a revolution to the England side along with captain Ben Stokes, as they took their opponents off guard with an aggressive style of play termed ‘Bazball’ by the media.

However, after England’s inconsistent performances over the last year, McCullum had to face the axe. While his tenure will be remembered for changing England’s batting ethos, it also had its fair share of controversies. Here are the three most controversial moments of the England team under Brendon McCullum:

1. The Noosa Break

Following their eight-wicket defeat in the second Ashes Test against Australia in Brisbane, England went on a mid-series break in Noosa, Queensland. What was expected to be a quiet week away from cricket turned out to be a controversial trip as videos of players being heavily drunk circulated on social media.

Matters only got worse after opening batter Ben Duckett was seen heavily intoxicated and slurring his words in a viral video. England’s director of cricket Rob Key acknowledged that some players’ conduct was unacceptable and launched an investigation into the trip.

Following the incident, several reports claimed that the England team has a drinking problem, which only added to the pressure on the side as they eventually went down 1-4 in the five-match series.

2. Harry Brook’s nightclub incident

England’s ODI captain Harry Brook was involved in an altercation with a bouncer while trying to enter a nightclub in New Zealand. The incident took place on the night before the third ODI between England and New Zealand, played on November 1, 2025, in Wellington.

Brook had gone out with his teammates Jacob Bethell and Jos Tongue when he was hit by a bouncer while trying to enter a nightclub in an inebriated state. The incident only became public after England's 1-4 defeat in the Ashes 2025-26 and added fuel to the fire as England had to impose a night curfew on players.

3. Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson suspension

England captain Ben Stokes and all-rounder Gus Atkinson were suspended for the second Test match against New Zealand played at the Oval in June 2026. The duo was involved in another nightclub incident after breaking the team’s night curfew to celebrate their victory in the first Test at Lord’s.

Stokes and Atkinson were reportedly involved in a violent incident involving Totoa Auvaa, a player in the English rugby union club Saracens, which also left the England security guard injured. As a result, they faced a one-match suspension and were left off with warnings after the ECB didn’t hold them responsible for any violent behaviour.