Mumbai: England Test head coach Brendon McCullum has praised captain Ben Stokes after their 3-0 win in the New Zealand Tests, stating that the 31-year-old is “clearly a leader that the guys want to follow”.
He pointed out that the all-rounder is very clear in his communication and sticks to his plans irrespective of the situation.
The cricketer-turned-coach revealed that Stokes wanted England to chase down New Zealand’s total on the fourth day of the Headingley Test when the required rate exceeded seven runs per over.
McCullum even went so far as to say that the new Test captain has overtaken him in terms of aggression.
The former Kiwi captain said, “We needed 297 runs in 40 overs yesterday and Ben Stokes came up to me and said we are going to try to finish it today. He’s been absolutely outstanding and is clearly a leader that the guys want to follow. He’s very consistent with his messaging no matter how much is on the line. His ability to control the field has been fantastic.”
McCullum said that there is a good bonding between the players and there is a good rapport with each other. He explained that while there were some challenges in the transitional phase, the team members have shown great faith in the new leadership group.
McCullum said, “It’s been an incredible few weeks trying to get people under Stokes’ leadership. It had some challenges, but people really took advantage of it. I am just delighted with the application and the camaraderie that sits within the dressing room in such a short period of time.”
England is scheduled to lock horns with India in the rescheduled fifth Test in Edgbaston in Birmingham, starting on July 1. The fixture is of utmost importance for the Poms as India has a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
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