England managing director Rob Key must speak to Brendon McCullum about becoming the country’s new limited-overs head coach, says former captain Eoin Morgan.

Matthew Mott stepped down from the white-ball role on Tuesday after England failed to defend either of the limited-overs World Cups during his tenure.

His assistant Marcus Trescothick has been put in temporary charge for the series against Australia in September as Key begins the search for a successor.

Morgan, who skippered England to glory at the 2019 World Cup, said on Sky Sports that Test coach McCullum “is one of the best coaches in the world” and should be sounded out about combining the two roles.

“Rob Key should have that conversation, because we’ve seen the dramatic turnaround in the Test team and the foil he has made with Ben Stokes,” Morgan said.

“I’m not sure he [McCullum] has given it a lot of thought yet [but] he should.

“He is a very versatile, more than capable coach, who is highly regarded and ultimately made the England Test team a better side – which is what you want from your head coach.”

McCullum, 42, was asked after last month’s Test series victory over the West Indies if he could combine his current role with the white-ball job, but did not answer.

Key split England’s head coach position into separate Test and white-ball posts after the last man to combine the roles, Chris Silverwood, left in 2022.

Morgan acknowledged Key would have to make the prospect an appealing one for New Zealander McCullum, who took over as Test coach in May 2022, to take on the extra responsibility.

He added: “The question would be how will he [McCullum] make it fit over the course of the next 12 months? But from Rob Key’s point of view he needs to make it attractive.”