England Test captain Ben Stokes has lauded the choice to nominate Brendon McCullum as the brand new head coach of limited-overs groups, calling it “an unbelievable move” for the way forward for the game within the nation. McCullum, who has already revolutionised England’s Test cricket along with his management fashion, will now take cost of all codecs, beginning in 2025 underneath a brand new three-year deal that can prolong his tenure till 2027. Since taking the reins of the Test aspect in May 2022, McCullum, alongside Stokes, has overseen a dramatic transformation, with England profitable 19 of their 28 Tests, together with six sequence victories out of 9.
He has been credited with enhancing the efficiency of England’s Test workforce by means of his aggressive and emboldened method, typically referred to as ‘Bazball’.
“I was very surprised by the news. First and foremost, I think it’s an unbelievable move for English cricket to go back to having a coach in charge of all the teams. You look at what Baz has achieved with the Test side, it’s been amazing,” Stokes informed ESPNCricinfo.
Matthew Mott, who was appointed to supervise the limited-overs groups alongside McCullum, stepped down in July following underwhelming campaigns within the 2023 50-over World Cup and the T20 version earlier this yr. Now, McCullum set to steer the ship throughout all codecs.
“I’m actually excited for the white-ball workforce to have the chance to have the ability to work with Baz, hearken to him converse, and listen to his opinions. I believe Jos goes to actually, actually take pleasure in having him as his coach to work with.
“And you look at all the new faces who are coming into that white-ball team now, I couldn’t think of a better person for them to come in and work under at international level for the first time. He just gives everyone the platform to go out and enjoy themselves. Baz never puts any added pressure on anybody’s shoulders,” Stokes mentioned.
As England’s Test workforce prepares for a busy winter, beginning with a sequence in opposition to Pakistan in October, Stokes faces his personal challenges. The captain is presently recovering from a torn left hamstring, an damage sustained whereas taking part in for the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred. Although, Stokes admitted that his participation within the first Test in opposition to Pakistan continues to be unsure.
“The recurrence rate of these injuries is 50%, which is quite high. I’d rather take an extra two weeks than run the risk of potentially doing something worse and then putting myself out of the game for longer. I’m just making sure that I’m doing everything right and everything I possibly can to try and give myself a chance to being fit for that first Test,” mentioned Stokes.
–IANS
hs/bc
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