England's hopes of reclaiming the Ashes for the first time in over a decade went up in smoke as they lost the first three Tests against Australia without putting up much of a fight. While the consolation
win in Melbourne has given the players some breathing space, head coach Brendon McCullum has been in the firing line for the team's lacklustre performance in red-ball cricket in recent months.
Ahead of the fifth and final Test match at the Sydney Cricket Ground, starting on Sunday, January 4, England captain Ben Stokes came out in defence of the former New Zealand skipper. Stokes asserted that he and McCullum are the right men to take England cricket forward.
"There is no doubt in my mind me and Brendon are the right people to carry on doing this for the near future. I've thoroughly enjoyed the time I've worked with Brendon. I can't see there being someone else who I could take this team [with] from where we are now to even bigger heights. So for us as captain and coach, when we do have the time off, we need to put our heads together and go 'What is it that we think we need to do to go to the next level?'" Stokes said, according to Yahoo Sport.
The legendary all-rounder acknowledged the past year's mixed results and some inconsistency compared to earlier years.
"You look back at how things have gone over the last year, the results and the consistency hasn't quite been there from the first two and a half to three years we were in charge. All we've ever wanted to do is constantly push the guys and not wanting to stand still. We've got some things to go away and speak about and try to get the boys pushing even further forward than we managed to achieve since me and Brendon first took over," said Stokes.
Additional responsibility for McCullum a hindrance? Stokes answers
When McCullum was roped in by the ECB (England & Wales Cricket Board), he was only given charge of the Test team. However, since 2025, he has been the head coach in all three formats. England's winning rate in Tests has decreased substantially since then. Before 2025, England won 22 out of 35 Tests. However, since McCullum became the all-format coach, the Three Lions have managed just four wins in 10 Tests.
The one-day side has managed four wins and 11 losses, exiting the Champions Trophy in the group stage, while the T20I team has eight wins and five defeats ahead of the World Cup. Stokes, however, believes that the additional responsibility hasn't hampered the former wicketkeeper's relationship with the Test side.
"He has got two jobs. [But] it has not influenced the relationship we have with this Test team whatsoever," said Stokes.
