Little over a month and a half ago, Rob Key was commentating on the much anticipated Pakistan vs Australia series; Ben Stokes took a leave of absence for mental health reasons just last year; and Brendon McCullum oversaw his Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL as recently as Monday. Today, they find themselves at the helm of a crisis - England's Test side sit sixth in the ICC Test rankings, with their lowest points total since the Atherton/Stewart days of 1995, having won just one of their last 17 Tests. England's so-called 'red ball reset' - a term coined following the disastrous Ashes campaign - enters the second round.
There's no two ways about it, English Test cricket is in dire need of a shake-up. The men relieved of their duties - director Ashley Giles, coach Chris Silverwood and captain Joe Root - represented traditional choices for an ECB looking to return to the world-beating side of the early 2010s. Now, looking down the barrel at a far deeper calamity, they've plumped for three more risky options. So why are the incoming trio of Rob Key, Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum the answer? In truth, there's little hard data to suggest they are, and that's the point.
Key, the man heading up the new appointments as Managing Director, has no discernible managerial experience to speak of: since his retirement in 2016, he's preferred to apply his knowledge in the safety of the commentary box rather than put his ideas to practice. England's new captain Ben Stokes, perhaps the riskiest but least surprising appointment of all, has captained just one first-class game in his career - a loss to the West Indies in 2020. And Brendon McCullum? The New Zealander looks a far better fit for the white ball job, given his experience at both incarnations of the Knight Riders in the CPL and the IPL, and doesn't exactly have the best record of keeping the dressing room: see, Ross Taylor.
However, a complete change in perspective, tact and decision-making is just what English Test cricket needs. Key, a man well-regarded for his cricketing brain, has already split the white and red ball coaching roles - undoubtedly a step forward for the world's busiest cricketing nation. Bringing back a national selector - a role scrapped by the outgoing Giles - looks to be next on his agenda.
One sticking point with the old regime was a lack of admission; mistakes weren't mistakes, simply decisions made for rest and rotation, or were actually the right call, despite events showing otherwise. England's choice to leave out both Broad and Anderson on a green seamer in Brisbane comes to mind. Key, in a candid interview with former colleague Nasser Hussain for Sky Sports, laid his intention to rid English cricket of this naivety: "You've gotta be able to adapt. I think in the whole world at the moment, if you've got a view on something, you can't ever flinch from that, and I think that's the biggest load of nonsense ever."
"You've gotta be able to go, 'yeah, alright, I got that wrong' and I don't have any issue with that at all actually", he added. "I think we get so worried about being wrong, whereas the worst thing about being wrong is when you stick to that position knowing that you are, thinking that you'll save face. I couldn't care less about that."
Transparency and a willingness to admit and learn from errors should be the bare minimum requirement for the new crew. This, alongside Key's glowing reputation among his former Kent teammates, suggests the man at the top is one willing to adapt.
Ben Stokes, after taking an indefinite absence from cricket to focus on his mental health, looked for some time last year to be out of the England setup for good. Following a disappointing Ashes series, ongoing injury problems and a downturn in form, the all-rounder was named the side's new Test captain earlier this month. Key may have been devoid of other options, but Stokes' appointment still seems a risky one.
But in captain Stokes, England have chosen an experienced cricketer who has displayed signs of leadership throughout his career, if mostly through his performances. The all-rounder's tendency to field at mid-on in recent times to lend an ear to England's less experience bowlers is a sign of seniority, painfully absent throughout the rest of the playing squad.
Stokes has also championed the return of Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson, the bare minimum of common-sense calls required by the incoming captain, but one the previous regime undoubtedly got wrong. England, without their prime pace duo, failed to bowl the West Indies out in any of their three matches this winter. With injuries to the likes of Mark Wood, Olly Stone, Jofra Archer and now Chris Woakes, the pair will be critical to England's summer.
England's new captain has hardly had a simple time of it off the field - his father's death, triggering last year's break from cricket, and legal case in 2018 have been well documented. In an honest interview with BBC Sport, Stokes suggested his past hurdles are more of a help than a hindrance: "Those experiences are a positive in this new role I've got. I have been through a lot of good and bad and feel I can relate to both sides of what sport and life can throw at you."
"It would be naive to think my way is the only way and no one else has a voice or input", he continued. "I want selfless cricketers who make decisions based on winning the game of cricket for England." Stokes, who chose to turn down a lucrative IPL contract to focus on the Test side earlier this Spring, seems to already be leading by his own example.
McCullum, the man who has the most experience in the field he's been appointed, is widely considered to be the most left-field of the new . However, when considering he's replacing Chris Silverwood, who had 13 years of playing experience in English cricket and almost a decade in coaching, the New Zealander's managerial CV pales in significance. But, perhaps that's exactly the point. While the appointment of Key suggests a few cogs may be altered, the McCullum decision indicates a new approach altogether.
While he hasn't coached a red-ball side, England's new boss has been a leader in his own right. His position as New Zealand captain in the mid 2010s re-energised a side previously satisfied with just existing, creating an infectious culture of hard-work and tenacity continued by his successor Kane Williamson. Talking of New Zealand's turnaround , McCullum tried to remind his players of their childlike love for the game: "We talk about the little boy who fell in love with the game: when you have that mindset you can be positive and aggressive, because you're thinking what can go right, rather than what might go wrong."
For a timid England side so often skittled for under 200 in the last two years, a fresh voice calling for positivity and aggression is an exciting prospect. And, with his playing reputation as a big-hitting batter, it shouldn't be a shock that Brendan McCullum is the spokesperson Key has gone with. Ben Stokes, another man who lives and dies by the sword, before McCullum's appointment suggested that "the main thing is that me, Rob and the coach all have the same vision going forward for this Test team." Well, I think he's got his wish.
The trio may be lacking in concrete experience, but their attitudes cannot be questioned. Throwing English cricket in at the deep end might be the reset it needs. Whatever happens, in the words of Rob Key, "it's time for us all to buckle up and get ready for the ride."
England's trio will face their first examination against New Zealand on June 2nd.
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