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Nasser Hussain says he is delighted to see what impact Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum’s partnership as captain and manager will have on the England Test squad.
Nasser Hussain says he is delighted to see what impact Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum’s partnership as captain and manager will have on the England Test squad.
Brendon McCullum’s appointment as new England Tests head coach is ‘hugely exciting’, but he and skipper Ben Stokes need to ‘challenge’ each other to revive England’s Test results, says Nasser Hussain.
McCullum, who has worked primarily as a white ball coach, has been handed a four-year contract by England men’s team general manager Rob Key as the Test squad seek to regain some form after a series of 16 defeats in 17 tests.
Although inexperienced as a red ball coach, McCullum’s captaincy of the New Zealand Test team, which led to a complete culture change for the team from 2013, will have been a a compelling example of leadership for Key, which he hopes to emulate. now as England manager.
This is Key’s second big appointment since taking over as GM after picking Stokes as his new Test captain just weeks ago, and while the move came as a shock, Hussain thinks it could help the English team. as they take a new direction.
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Former England captain and Sky Sports Cricket pundit Nasser Hussain agrees Ben Stokes is the best candidate to lead the Test team and his advice is to do it his way.
“It’s a bold, courageous and exciting move,” Hussain said.
“It’s a little left I think maybe most people expected some Brendon McCullum type of guy to come into the white ball team and work with his mate Eoin Morgan and maybe someone with more experience in red ball cricket like Gary Kirsten. for the Test match format.
“But Rob Key sees it differently, I think Stokes and McCullum are cut from the same cloth and Key has this kind of idea that he wants a positive captain and a positive coach taking the team in a new direction and McCullum fits. perfectly to this invoice.
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ECB adviser Andrew Strauss said he was blown away by the “awesome” Brendon McCullum when recruiting for the Tests head coach job.
“This captain-coach relationship, they have to sing the same anthem sheet, they both have to work together constantly.
“They also have to challenge each other, I’ll be perfectly honest.
“This is not a case where Stokes and McCullum always agree. That’s also how you really describe positive cricket, it’s not flawless cricket.
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Former England international Nick Compton has said he would have opted for someone with more coaching experience than Brendon McCullum for the Test head coaching role.
“I almost picked up Rob Key the other day he talked about the brand of cricket he wants England to play a positive brand of cricket I think the English fans and myself want to see England play a winning brand of cricket but it’s done get out there and start winning test matches.
“If it’s positive and exciting, double bonus. But winning is the most important thing.
“I think it’s hugely exciting, having Stokes as captain, McCullum as coach, it’s going to be a very exciting few months and years ahead.”
Watch Brendon McCullum’s first set in charge of England live on Sky Sports, as his side take on New Zealand in three Tests, starting at Lord’s on June 2.