Ben Stokes reaches out to Brendon McCullum after Test coach's sacking: ‘In a romantic kind of way…’

Brendon McCullum revealed Ben Stokes' reaction to the former getting sacked as England Test coach.

Updated on: Jul 13, 2026, 21:09:10 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

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Brendon McCullum received support from Ben Stokes after the former was sacked as England's Test coach. Ahead of the first ODI against India, the former New Zealand captain revealed that Stokes reached out to him after he was asked to vacate the role. On Sunday, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced that McCullum would leave the Test role and only remain at the helm in white-ball cricket.

Brendon McCullum was sacked as England's Test coach. (AFP)

Under McCullum, England failed to win a single Test series against India and Australia. The series defeat against New Zealand proved to be the final nail in the coffin, and McCullum's position became untenable.

Earlier, Stokes announced his retirement from international cricket, making the call just before the end of the third and final Test against New Zealand. Stokes' decision also came in the aftermath of the nightclub incident.

Also Read: Brendon McCullum sacked as England Test coach; ECB pulls the plug on Bazball

McCullum also said that he really liked his time as the Test coach, but understands the ECB's decision to part ways with him.

“I got some nice messages from Stokesy, actually, and in a romantic kind of way, there's something about Stokesy and me going out together, which we started together, and we go out together, and I have no problem with that. Difficult decisions need to be made sometimes in professional sport, and I totally respect the decision, and I thank everyone for the support that I've had over the time that I've been in this privileged position of being England Men's Test Head Coach,” McCullum told BBC Test Match Special.

“I've had a great time, it's been one of the highlights of my time in this game, I've been involved in for 20-odd years,” he added.

More about McCullum's sacking

The decision to part ways with McCullum as the Test coach was taken a day after he oversaw England's 4-0 win in the five-match series against India. He will now look to keep up with the winning momentum in the three ODIs against the same opponent.

“I feel incredibly humbled to have had the opportunity. I love some of the moments we were able to achieve and some of the times that weren't quite what we wanted as well,” said McCullum.

“You have to wear those, but this is top-level sport, and you have challenges, and you have great ambitions and goals. Sometimes you get there, and sometimes you don't, but I've really enjoyed it, and I want to thank everyone who has supported this team and has backed us all the way along,” he added.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

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