McCullum in England future talks

CRICKET: England's under-pressure head coach Brendon McCullum has confirmed initial talks about his future have started in the aftermath of a messy Ashes tour.

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Brendon McCullum

(Philip Brown/Getty)

The heat is on McCullum after he led the team to a 4-1 defeat in Australia, with his England and Wales Cricket Board employers launching a formal review into the series within hours of the final Test concluding in Sydney.

The picture got even murkier when news emerged that Harry Brook, captain of the limited-overs side and Ben Stokes' deputy Down Under, had been fined for a late-night altercation with a club bouncer on the eve of a one-day international defeat in New Zealand earlier this winter.

The entire regime is battling a growing perception of unprofessional preparation, loose training methods and a damaging drinking culture, leaving those in power with difficult questions to answer.