Graham Gooch is confident that England will not rush into replacing head coach Brendon McCullum despite their dismal Ashes series defeat to Australia. 

England were defeated Down Under in 11 days after losing in Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide, though they were able to get their first win on Australian soil in 15 years in Melbourne.

However, England ended the five-match series with a five-wicket defeat in Sydney, with Australia now unbeaten in their last four Ashes series in front of their own fans, only losing a single Test in that time and winning 17 (two draws).

Ben Stokes and his team-mates returned home with plenty of questions being asked, with their defeat also coming amid controversy about the off-field conduct of players while in Australia. 

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has said a review into the defeat is underway, with the futures of Stokes, McCullum and director Rob Key all under the spotlight. 

England's next matches will see them face Sri Lanka in two three-match series in the T20 and ODI formats ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup, which begins next month. 

And Gooch, who played 118 Tests for England, believes that should the team want success with this partnership, McCullum may have to adapt his aggressive 'Bazball' approach. 

"I think nothing's going to happen in the near future because we have the World Cup," Gooch exclusively told Stats Perform.

"It would be foolish to change now, because someone needs time to get their ideas into a team. I don't think anything's going to change in the near future."

ECB Statement: End of Men's Ashes Tour

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) January 8, 2026

But ahead of the T20 World Cup, which England last won four years ago in Australia, Gooch believes that white-ball captain Harry Brook needs to improve his game. 

Brook was vice-captain to Stokes for the Ashes but underperformed with the bat, with his top score coming in England's first innings in Sydney, where he managed 84 runs. 

The 26-year-old was also forced to apologise after an altercation with a nightclub bouncer in New Zealand last autumn, when England were swept 3-0 in three ODIs.

But looking at his performances at the crease, Gooch also believes that Brook, like McCullum, may need to show more respect to the intricacies of the longer format.

"I think someone needs to sit down with Harry Brook and talk to him because of the way he is playing," Gooch added.

"He's captain of our white-ball team, the way he is playing, to me, he's wasting his talent.

"We've seen innings from him that win matches and are ultra exciting, but even in this last innings at Sydney, he's running down the wicket, going outside leg stump, playing in a T20 mode all the time, and I question whether that's going to be long-term success for him in the longer form of the game. 

"I think you have to adapt. Someone needs to sit down and talk to him and say, 'look, you've got to review the way you're playing'. 

"I'm not suggesting you have to go out and occupy the crease and block, but you've got to make some adjustments and evolve yourself."

In the wake of their Ashes defeat, Stokes said that England did "damage to themselves" and were unable to recover from mistakes with both the bat and the ball.

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

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) January 8, 2026

And while Gooch does not feel the time is right for a change of captain, he believes it could be under consideration. 

"Long-term, I don't know. Has someone got to carry the can for this? I think Ben Stokes should stay in charge because I think he's one of our best cricketers," Gooch said.

"He didn't have a great series with the bat, but I don't see anyone else who could take on that captaincy, and I think we need to get as much out of him as we can over the next few years. He's 33 years of age. 

"He's probably got, with the way he plays his cricket, three years in him, if he stays reasonably fit. He could probably play as a batter, but he has to stop bowling. 

"As for McCullum and Rob Key, I don't know what's going to happen, but I think questions have to be asked.

"I do question whether Brendon McCullum can change his approach because that’s what he was brought in for.

"But I don't think we are going about our Test cricket in the right way. Sometimes you can play that aggressive style and it works. 

"We've not beaten either of the other big two, Australia and India, in a five-match series recently. You are defined by whether you win the matches. 

"So I question whether this management can change their attitudes towards Test cricket."