OPINION
Follow UsEngland’s conundrum is a strange one. Well, it may not be if you look at their recent record in Test cricket. They have won 10 of their last 29 matches, drew 7 and lost 14 since the beginning of 2020. While their away record can be put aside for a bit, they stand at 4-4-4 in wins, losses and draws at home in this period. It's difficult to think of any other major country with a goldmine of talent in the limited-overs, having a similar core group yet miserably failing in the longest format.
The mounting pressure on Chris Silverwood and Joe Root in 2021 feels like a nightmare that never fades even in the wake of Ben Stokes’ appointment as the new Test captain.
However, the announcement of Brendon McCullum as the Test head coach brings a bit more optimism like a small sapling of hope sprouting from a chopped tree trunk.
There are a lot of things that make the 40-year old New Zealander tick. He had been a captain who was adored by his teammates and fans alike. Despite being a ruthless batter who hit back at every tough situation, he had always encouraged players with different skillsets in a team. As a result, someone like Kane Williamson was able to bequeath a talented team that reached all the World Cup finals since 2017. He has played competitive cricket until five years ago, which makes him more in tune with the current generation of players.
As a player, McCullum had always been the one to throw the gauntlet at the opposition no matter the situation, exemplified by his penultimate innings in international cricket. Australia were leading a two-match Test series on New Zealand soil and were dominant in the second Test at Christchurch.
McCullum, walking in at 74/4, broke the Viv Richards’ record for fastest Test century by reaching his in 54 balls. He finished with 21 boundaries, six sixes on his way to a 79-ball 145. Australia went on to win the match, but McCullum bowed out with top honours. There were no inhibitions or the pressure of failure, just a free-flowing approach that entertains the fans.
His captain Stokes shares that fearless philosophy. Either it be his monumental 135 not out at Headingley that dwarfed Australia’s Ashes victory in 2019 or his recent record-breaking return to County cricket with 17 sixes against Worcestershire on his way to an 88-ball 161.
As Mark Wood described his long-term friend in a BBC column after the Headingley epic - “People always speak of him being a leader, which is true, but he's also incredibly loyal, a team-mate who always has your back. Stokesy wants the best for everyone and he's always happy to help others with their game.”
There is a side to Stokes that can be argued but will get a begrudging acknowledgment. He is England’s best player across all formats. He trains more than anyone else, orders the entire menu for himself at restaurants and narrates every detail of the recent show he has watched – down to the characters’ maiden names to the entire team.
He wouldn’t let his standards drop and would like to do it all by himself. McCullum’s presence could be the one to whisper the wise words of John Lennon and Paul McCartney in to his ears - “Hey Jude, refrain. Don't carry the world upon your shoulders.”
While his equation with Stokes will be a crucial foundation, England’s Test job will be McCullum’s toughest assignment as a head coach. There is always noise surrounding the team and there is a lot to uncover and unpack within it.
A solid opening combination is yet to be found. Ollie Pope, Rory Burns, Haseeb Hameed and Jos Buttler’s Test careers are hanging by the thread. Jofra Archer’s nagging injuries have no definite answers. Then there’s the elephant in the room – Will James Anderson and Stuart Broad ever get back? If they do, how long will they be there?
Going by his reputation as a player and his resume as a coach (with Kolkata Knight Riders and Trinbago Knight Riders), McCullum would’ve suited as England’s white-ball head coach. But that side of the door is not hanging by its hinges. His record with KKR over four editions of IPL stands at 27 wins, 30 losses and one final appearance. But in T20 franchise leagues squads change every year and the time to work on them is constrained to 2-3 months. McCullum would’ve aimed for a job that has more to do with developing a group over a period of time.
Under McCullum’s captaincy, New Zealand weren't the most consistent Test sides. They won 11, lost 11 and drew nine. But the dressing room culture and habit of getting the best out of their limited resources proved fruitful over the next four years, culminating with the World Test Championship title.
If he is to replicate that with England, McCullum can hark back to his own words after playing his final Test.
“The latter part of my career is when I realised that, when you're almost at a stage that you weren't enjoying the game, when you come to that realisation, you try to get back the innocence of why you started playing the game in the first place," he said.
That is something England desperately needs at the moment. Shedding the cynicism on the field and leaving the gunk of criticism coming from outside. A side that keeps building in a methodical way without caring for the absolutes and aggregates.
