Ben Stokes backs Brendon McCullum to guide England past New Zealand at Lord's

LONDON: England Test captain Ben Stokes has expressed full confidence in his side’s ability to rediscover their winning form and has thrown his support behind head coach Brendon McCullum as the team prepares for the upcoming home international summer.

Stokes has been retained as red-ball skipper, with McCullum continuing as head coach, despite a disappointing Ashes campaign which ended in a 4-1 defeat. 

The all-rounder believes the long-standing partnership he shares with the New Zealander will be key to lifting England’s fortunes.

“I'm very confident in mine and Brendon's ability to be able to work together,” Stokes told the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in an interview.

“We've done it for such a long period of time now.”

“But [we] work together in a slightly different way. The main point of me and Brendon is our alignment towards winning things and making this team as good as they can be.”

The heavy Ashes loss had placed the England management under scrutiny, but having received the green light to continue, Stokes chose to take a broader view.

He took pride in the transformation of the team’s approach in the longest format and the results that have followed since he and McCullum took charge in 2022.

“With what me and Brendon were able to achieve with the group over a four-year period, I just couldn't imagine doing what we were trying to do with anyone else,” said Stokes.

Both Stokes and McCullum have contracts running until 2027. With next year’s Ashes and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup on the horizon, the England captain is clear about their shared ambitions.

“We're both very proud men in what we do. We put a lot of our heart and soul into this job. Brendon certainly has for the four years he's done it so far, and hopefully we'll still be together at the end of 2027, winning what we want to win.”

The interview was released as a three-minute snippet by the ECB, with the full version scheduled to be published on Wednesday.

For the unversed, England’s next Test assignment begins on 4 June against New Zealand at Lord’s. 

The series forms part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025–27 cycle, in which England currently sit seventh with a points percentage of 31.67.