Brendon McCullum has declared that England's white-ball side will be expected to meet the same standards as the Test team, stressing that their lifestyle "comes with responsibilities". This message marks the start of his job share with new red-ball head coach Stephen Fleming.
Fleming arrived in the country on Monday to begin establishing the split management structure. He will spend two weeks meeting with the ECB, Test captain Joe Root, and county cricket figures, before linking up with McCullum's limited-overs squad in Manchester ahead of Saturday's third T20 against Sri Lanka.
McCullum confirmed that the tightened disciplinary expectations, already a priority for Root, will extend to his regime. Brydon Carse has been excluded from all formats since an incident last month, which McCullum cited as an example of the new philosophy. "I hope it’s crystal clear what is expected, not just of this group, but of those who have got aspirations to play for us," he stated.
Former England captain Kevin Pietersen has joined the white-ball backroom team in a mentoring capacity, reinforcing McCullum's message. Pietersen, who has previously criticised the squad, will challenge the environment privately to seek improvements.
McCullum expressed confidence in working with Fleming, describing him as "one of my best mates." They are set to discuss selection priorities for multi-format players and the division of backroom staff in the coming days.