‘We’re the right people’ – Stokes wants to continue alongside McCullum

Despite England’s Ashes series defeat in Australia, Captain Ben Stokes claims that he can’t think of replacing head coach Brendon McCullum with “someone else.”

When Stokes and McCullum became partners in 2022, their tour was touted as a turning point, with England succumbing to successive defeats in each of the first three Tests.

England will wrap up the series in Sydney on Sunday (23:30 GMT, Saturday) after winning their fourth Test in Melbourne, marking their first victory in this nation in almost 15 years.

Both Stokes and McCullum have agreed to keep their jobs after this tour, but their contracts expire in 2027.

The positions of McCullum and Rob Key may come under scrutiny even though Stokes is still England’s best leader and will likely continue into the summer.

There is no denying that Brendon and I are the right people to continue doing this in the near future, Stokes said.

England’s terrible run in the Ashes series in Australia is extended by this defeat, which is their only accomplishment since 1986.

Losses in the underbelly frequently indicate radical changes to the England management. Stokes and McCullum were acquired after a 4-0 defeat four years ago.

“We haven’t won here since 2010-11, and things have changed since that series because we believe people need to change,” he said. Stokes remarked.

A decision regarding McCullum’s future is unlikely to be made until after the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka is over.

Stokes, an all-rounder, said he “hoped” to be consulted about any potential changes to the England hierarchy.

We’re both pretty eager to continue doing what we’re doing, said Stokes, “because nobody knows whether it will occur or not.”

Under Stokes and McCullum, England won 10 of their first 11 Tests, but their results have been mixed since that first success.

England has won 16 of its previous 34 Test matches, drawing one draw and losing one. In a prestigious five-test series against Australia or India, they haven’t won.

McCullum also oversaw England’s white-ball teams at the beginning of 2025. England has won only four of its ten Test matches since then, including the anticipated comfortable defeat won by Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge in May.

Key cited the white-ball series in New Zealand prior to this tour as a limiting factor in England’s poor Ashes performance in explaining the causes of this. The former England and Kent batter expressed his opposition to “writing off” the Black Caps’ games.

Stokes, however, doesn’t think McCullum’s dual role is a negative one for the Test team.

For the final Test, England has selected a 12-man squad, including seamers Matthew Potts and Shoaib Bashir.

After hamstring injury-ruled pace bowler Gus Atkinson was ruled out of the team’s Melbourne match, the tourists will make at least one change.

After missing the first four Ashes Tests after breaking his finger in the third one against India at Lord’s, Bashir hasn’t played since July.

Since his last cap against New Zealand in Hamilton in December 2024, Durham’s Potts has been waiting more than a year.

Stokes of Potts said, “He’s been in and about.” He obviously had a fantastic start to his ball-handling career, and he now occupies a slightly different position in both the team and the squad.

After the disappointing news about what happened to Gus last week, “There is an opportunity for someone to come in this week.”

Australia’s team could change two things. Todd Murphy might compete with seamer Jhye Richardson as a specialist spinner.