Ben Stokes has declared his "100% support" for Harry Brook to succeed him as England Test captain, despite the official line that no decision is imminent. Meanwhile, head coach Brendon McCullum has pledged to stay on, saying "the project isn't finished yet" as he honours his contract to the end of 2027.
Stokes backs Brook for captaincy
Speaking after England's series loss to New Zealand at Trent Bridge, Stokes said of Brook: "There's a reason he was asked to be vice-captain of this team. I know with all the controversy over the last couple of weeks, decisions were made. They were decisions I was not part of making. You are asked to be vice‑captain for a reason, and I was vice-captain under Joe for a long time. It's the natural progression, if the captain is not there you step up."
Stokes added: "There is absolutely no reason why Harry shouldn't be asked to do that. You don't ask someone to be vice‑captain if you don't think he's got the skills and ability to captain the team. If I was to be asked who I think should do it, I would be throwing my 100% support behind Harry Brook."
McCullum reaffirms commitment
McCullum, who has been head coach for four-and-a-half years, said: "From my point of view, my enthusiasm and commitment to English cricket has never wavered, and that's certainly the case now. I'm excited about the opportunity of where this cricket team can get to."
"The project isn't finished yet. When you take jobs like this, you know there are going to be days where you have to navigate through tough moments, and keep projecting forward to what you think the vision for your side is and how you are able to shape that. And again, for me, my enthusiasm and my commitment to English cricket has never wavered."
Stokes's strained relationship with McCullum
Stokes's once-buoyant relationship with McCullum became strained during the Ashes series defeat. Tellingly, while he gave Brook and Joe Root advance notice of his intention to stand down on Saturday night, McCullum found out only on Sunday morning, minutes before the rest of the squad. The coach tried to talk Stokes into staying on, but was shut down in a brief conversation.
McCullum said: "He grabbed me when we arrived at the ground and he said: 'Baz, I'm done.' I was just like: 'Slow down, you don't need to make any rash decisions right now, let's just talk through this.' He said: 'Honestly, I'm done.' I felt like he was very definitive in his thought process, whereas in my head I hadn't really had him at that stage yet, so I thought there was still room for negotiation. There wasn't."
Next captain not yet decided
The New Zealander said the identity of England's next Test captain was "one of those things we need to just take a bit of time to work out", that there were "many good candidates" in a squad that contains "some good strong leaders", and that "we want to make sure that we go through the right process to make sure that we give the next captain every opportunity to be successful".
McCullum will seek to preserve the spirit that made Stokes an effective leader. "He was an inspirational captain. He's a true leader of men and he did things with total conviction. I think it would be unfair to expect the next captain to lead in the same manner," McCullum said.
"To me, Stokesy's a personality that almost transcends the sport, such is his character and his bloody‑mindedness and his courage that he shows on the field. They are traits which need to stay within the dressing room. Just because he leaves it, those traits need to stay and that'll be the message to the boys tonight: while Stokesy walks on to the next chapter of his life, let's make sure some of those things remain."
Stokes's future plans
Before his retirement, with the Test side not in action again until mid‑August, Stokes had been planning to play for Durham in the Metro Bank One Day Cup, which starts on 21 July. He said those plans would "probably change now", but that he would soon be back in action for his county.
"Without them, and the progression that I made through to the first team, I wouldn't be sat here talking about all this stuff now," he said. "It's a case of going back and having a bit of fun playing, but also I guess repaying some of the stuff that they have given to me."
