Brendon McCullum refuses to give up control if he remains England head coach following the Ashes, but admitted there could be someone better "to steer the ship".

England's recent tour of Australia was shrouded in disappointment as they suffered a 4-1 defeat and came under scrutiny for both on and off the field issues.

As such, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Thursday, following England's five-wicket loss in the final Test, that a review of the series was underway.

The leadership team of McCullum, Ben Stokes and Rob Key have all had their positions called into question due to the series, too.

The New Zealander has reiterated his desire to see out his contract, which runs through to the end of the 2027 Ashes, and says he is not unwilling to evolve his methods to try and turn results around.

However, he noted there are certain changes he would be unwilling to make, including taking a step back in some of his duties.

"Whatever you do in life, I think you have to have some authenticity," McCullum told Sky Sports.

Australia win the fifth and final Ashes Test by five wickets. pic.twitter.com/tI2I80cdFS

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) January 8, 2026

"For me, in the job as coach, when you're trying to guide and shepherd and assist players, you need to have an influence over how the environment runs. And to be in charge of a lot of those decisions that are made when the pressure's on.

"So, as long as that remains, I'm open to progress, I'm open to evolution and some nipping and tucking. But without being ultimately able to steer the ship, maybe there is someone better.

"It depends what changes, right? I've a firm conviction in a lot of my methods. I'm not against evolution and not against progress. I encourage that across all sports, not just cricket. And all aspects of life as well. So I'm not against that.

"However, you need to stand for something. You need to believe in your methods, and you need to believe in how you go about things. It depends on what changes."

England are next in action in their white-ball series against Sri Lanka, with the first ODI taking place on January 22.