Ben Stokes has taken the blame for Brendon McCullum’s sudden dismissal as head coach of the England Test side. Speaking on the For The Love of Cricket podcast, hosted by his England fellows Stuart Broad and Jos Buttler, the former captain admitted his sudden exit from the international arena had directly led to McCullum losing his job.
“If I hadn't made the decision that I made four weeks ago, Baz would still be coach," Stokes admitted openly on the podcast. "So it's my fault.”
It was the end of an era for England cricket when Ben Stokes retired abruptly last month, midway through the final Test match against New Zealand. That arrived hot on the heels of a drunk disciplinary incident at a nightclub alongside teammate Gus Atkinson that renewed scrutiny over Stokes’ captaincy and the wider England dressing room. But the fallout did not stop there, and soon consumed his fellow architect-in-chief, head coach Brendon McCullum.
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Stokes broke the news to his coach in remarkably mundane fashion: while McCullum was making toast in the team kitchen. “When I told Baz, he was making toast, and I just went, 'Oh, I'm done'. I'd obviously had discussions with him anyway and then told him over toast. Then, again, he was like, 'Yeah, I've been given the tap on the shoulder.’”
{{/usCountry}}Stokes broke the news to his coach in remarkably mundane fashion: while McCullum was making toast in the team kitchen. “When I told Baz, he was making toast, and I just went, 'Oh, I'm done'. I'd obviously had discussions with him anyway and then told him over toast. Then, again, he was like, 'Yeah, I've been given the tap on the shoulder.’”
{{/usCountry}}Two weeks later, he was gone, sacked by the England and Wales Cricket Board after a recent slump in the team's Test fortunes saw a dismal 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia and a 2-1 home series loss to New Zealand. Stephen Fleming has since been appointed as McCullum's successor, while Joe Root returns for a second stint as Test captain. McCullum will continue as head coach of the limited-overs sides.
“He's still very excited and very happy to be moving forward with the white-ball because he's doing a very good job there,” said Stokes.
The Stokes-McCullum partnership radically overhauled England's approach to the longest format. Their aggressive brand of play achieved cult fandom as “Bazball” secured them ten victories from their first eleven matches in charge, breathing fresh life into a struggling side. But progress gradually stalled, and soon, both were gone.
Stokes eyes coaching future
Meanwhile, Stokes is already preparing for his own future off the field. The 35-year-old is pursuing his coaching badges while playing domestic cricket in England.
“I know what I want to do in terms of staying within the game, which is to be a coach… I'm doing my level three coaching now while I'm still playing… when the day comes that I'm not playing any more, I'd love to be able to have all that stuff signed off and done," Stokes said.
Long-term goal? The top job itself. Head coach of the England senior teams.
“Would I love to be coach of England one day? Absolutely. I would do a pretty good job at it because now I have an understanding of responsibility on the shoulders. I don't actually mind making big decisions," he added.