NEW DELHI: England Test captain Ben Stokes has underlined his commitment to continue alongside head coach Brendon McCullum at the helm of the national side, even as the duo has faced intense scrutiny over the past few weeks.
Speaking ahead of the upcoming Sydney Test, Stokes insisted that he and McCullum are the right people to lead England in the near future.
“There is no doubt in my mind that me and Brendon are the right people to carry on doing this for the near future,” he said.
Asked whether they operate as a partnership, Stokes added: “I can't see there being someone else who could take this team from where we are now to even bigger heights.”
Reflecting on England’s struggles in recent years, Stokes pointed out the challenges faced on tours Down Under.
“We have not won here since 2010-11 and since that series things have happened because we think people need to change things, but it has not really worked, has it?” he said.
He also acknowledged the pressures from above and the need to avoid repeating past mistakes.
“There's a lot of people who sit above me. Ashes tours in the past haven't gone well. But if you do what we did four years ago, we'll just end up back in the same situation,” Stokes said.
Looking ahead, the captain remained cautious but committed. “It is a situation nobody knows whether it is going to happen or not, but we're both pretty keen on carrying on doing what we are doing,” he added.
The Stokes-McCullum era, which began in 2022, brought fresh ideas and a dynamic approach inspired by McCullum’s aggressive “Basball-style” methods, but inconsistent performances have invited widespread criticism.
Despite their ambitions, Stokes and McCullum’s tenure has yet to yield major results against the top teams. England have struggled to win a Test series against India or Australia since 2018, leaving the duo under pressure to deliver consistent success.
