“I had a quick chat to Javagal after” - England head coach breaks silence on concussion sub controversy in IND vs ENG 2025 4th T20I

England head coach Brendon McCullum recently opened up on the concussion substitute controversy that encapsulated the fourth T20I against India at the MCA Stadium in Pune. The former New Zealand captain revealed that he spoke to match referee Javagal Srinath following the match but didn't have a heated conversation about the incident.

With all-rounder Shivam Dube not deemed fit to field after sustaining a concussion while batting, pace bowler Harshit Rana came in as a substitute. With Rana not being a like-for-like replacement, the Men in Blue received severe backlash from former and current England cricketers. The right-arm pacer made a decisive contribution to India's 15-run win, taking three wickets as they successfully defended 181.

Reflecting on that incident, McCullum said all they did was respectfully disagree with the referee's decision. He said, as quoted by The Guardian:

"We respectfully disagree with the decision from Javagal [Srinath, the match referee] to allow someone with a different skillset to step into that role. I had a quick chat to Javagal after. It was lighthearted, and there was no emotion involved. It was just trying to understand how we got to that decision. We respectfully disagreed and we moved on."

At the post-game press conference, visiting captain Jos Buttler also said they strongly disagreed with the referee's decision. The wicketkeeper-batter took a dig at the presser, claiming that either Dube has increased his bowling speed by 25mph or Rana has improved his batting by several notches.

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"I was a little bit surprised" - Brendon McCullum on Shivam Dube playing fifth T20I vs England

Brendon McCullum. (Image Credits: Getty)

Brendon McCullum went on to acknowledge his surprise at Shivam Dube recovering from his concussion in a day and getting ready to face bowlers who clocked 90mph consistently.

The 43-year-old added:

"I was a little bit surprised because I was just worried about player welfare. Concussion is well known now in any sport and there’s a lot more known about how ­dangerous they can be. Especially when you have guys bowling 90mph. The decision was made that he would play and I’m sure the Indian medical team were comfortable with that."

Although England lost the five-match T20I series 4-1, they will be keen to win the one-day leg that begins on February 6 in Nagpur.