Brendon McCullum, the head coach of England, has defended his side's practice regime during the recently concluded white-ball series against India. England did not perform well in either format, losing the T20I series 1-4 and the ODI series 0-3. The controversy regarding the practice arose when former English cricketer Kevin Pietersen and former Indian cricketer and head coach Ravi Shastri, while commentating during the third ODI said that England had just a single practice session during the entire series. This was shocking to many fans and cricket pundits, who wondered how well-prepared the team was for such a crucial tour which was a preparation for the forthcoming marquee event. Brendon McCullum Denies Practice Claims McCullum in response differed sharply with such allegations. He said that the statement made by the former cricketers was 'factually incorrect' and justified the team's strategy. In his opinion, the team had a practice schedule which took into account the forthcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025. He further noted that workload management of players played a crucial role in their strategy. Also Read | Spencer Johnson Aims to Replace Mitchell Starc in Champions Trophy After the match, England's head coach McCullum told TalkSport: “Firstly, it's factually incorrect, the whole statement that we don't train. We train plenty right throughout, guys have come from (playing) a lot of cricket as well. It's an easy thing to have as a throwaway line, saying guys aren't training hard enough when results aren't right." He added: “We have got a style and a method we believe in, guys who are battling injuries. (We are) trying to make sure we have got enough bodies out in the field knowing that we have a huge assignment coming up in a week or two. Ultimately, it's factually incorrect what is being said. We disagree with it and we will stay true with what we believe in.” England's series against India was the last they had prior to the Champions Trophy. They will face Australia on February 22 in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which is opening game. England are in Group B, sharing the group with Australia, South Africa, and Afghanistan. England has never won a Champions Trophy, although they made it to the final twice, in 2004 and 2013. With McCullum at the helm, they look to break this jinx and claim their first title. Recent woes against spin bowling, however, may make their job even more difficult in the coming matches.