New Delhi, Sep 4 (IANS): England Test captain Ben Stokes has lauded the decision to appoint Brendon McCullum as the new head coach of limited-overs teams, calling it "an unbelievable move" for the future of the sport in the country.
McCullum, who has already revolutionised England’s Test cricket with his leadership style, will now take charge of all formats, starting in 2025 under a new three-year deal that will extend his tenure until 2027.
Since taking the reins of the Test side in May 2022, McCullum, alongside Stokes, has overseen a dramatic transformation, with England winning 19 of their 28 Tests, including six series victories out of nine. He has been credited with improving the performance of England's Test team through his aggressive and emboldened approach, often known 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 told ESPNCricinfo.
Matthew Mott, who was appointed to oversee the limited-overs teams alongside McCullum, stepped down in July following underwhelming campaigns in the 2023 50-over World Cup and the T20 edition earlier this year. Now, McCullum set to steer the ship across all formats.
"I'm really excited for the white-ball team to have the opportunity to be able to work with Baz, listen to him speak, and hear his opinions. I think Jos is going to really, really enjoy 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 said.
As England’s Test team prepares for a busy winter, starting with a series against Pakistan in October, Stokes faces his own challenges. The captain is currently recovering from a torn left hamstring, an injury sustained while playing for the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred. Although, Stokes admitted that his participation in the first Test against Pakistan is still uncertain.
"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," said Stokes.