McCullum sacked as England Test head coach, will continue in white-ball role

SOUTHPORT, England, July 12 (AP): Brendon McCullum has been fired as coach of England's Test cricket team after four years in charge but will continue to lead the country's T20 and ODI sides.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced Sunday that McCullum "will stand down," with the New Zealander saying in the ECB statement he was "gutted not to be continuing" with the test team - suggesting it was a decision taken by those above him.

"But I respect the decision," McCullum added. "My focus now is on giving everything I've got to the white-ball teams and helping England keep moving forward."

The announcement came two weeks after England's series loss to New Zealand - its first loss at home in a series of three Tests or more since 2012.

That came on the heels of a 4-1 Ashes series loss Down Under in which the England team came under scrutiny for its perceived lack of professionalism.

Ben Stokes quit international cricket after the New Zealand series and now McCullum has gone, too, signaling the end of the so-called "Bazball" era - an entertaining but often flawed period for test cricket in England.