Stokes shuts down talk of a rift with McCullum after Ashes tensions
LONDON (AP) — England captain Ben Stokes says any suggestion he and coach Brendon McCullum are not aligned “is a massive overstatement. ” Were there disagreements between them during their Ashes debacle in Australia? Yes.
Was it any different than normal? No. Stokes and McCullum have been in lock step since 2022 and they crashed and burned when they lost to Australia 4-1 last winter.
Both men supported the other after being humbled but the Ashes review threw up signs of tension. Stokes wanted to play more conservatively while McCullum wanted to double down on all-out attack. Since the Ashes, Stokes has kept a low profile.
When he and McCullum kept their jobs last month following the Ashes review, he posted on social media that he was happy to continue working with McCullum and the post-Ashes period had been the hardest period of his captaincy. The captain has used an in-house interview with the England and Wales Cricket Board to address his relationship with McCullum. “Saying we weren't aligned, I think, is a massive overstatement,” Stokes said.
"When you're in a position of leadership along with someone else, if anyone thinks that you're always going to agree on everything then it's just impossible. "To me, that isn't a healthy environment for sport, in particular. You need debate.