Brendon McCullum said that he has developed a strong bond with Ben Stokes, the skipper of the England men’s Test team. Back in 2022, Stokes took over from Joe Root as the Three Lions’ skipper in the purest format while McCullum replaced Chris Silverwood as the head coach. Stokes and McCullum changed the brand of cricket that England played.
McCullum was appointed as the head coach at a time when the English Test team was struggling. The former New Zealand captain said that although he had a “natural respect” for Stokes earlier, it took some time for their friendship to build.
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“When I started the gig with the Test side, Stokesy and I knew each other – we had a natural respect for each other – but I wouldn’t say we were mates,” McCullum said in a press conference.
“What we’ve developed over the last couple of years is a very close friendship, to the point where I call him a very close mate. As much as you do this for cricketing reasons, ultimately you want good friendships and relationships to develop that last far longer than the time you’ve got in the job,” he added.
After his successful stint with the Test side, McCullum was named as the head coach for the limited-overs teams as well. He replaced Matthew Mott, who stepped down after England failed to qualify for the final of the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA. Mott, in the meantime, has joined Sydney Sixers as their assistant coach in the Big Bash League (BBL).
England are currently taking part in the three-match Test series against Sri Lanka, which they are leading 2-0. The third and final Test is scheduled to start from Friday, September 6 at the Kennington Oval in London.