Stokes and McCullum face uncertain future after 4-1 Ashes defeat

Independent.co reports England have lost the Ashes 4-1 and that Brendon McCullum and Rob Key are expected to be given a chance to turn things around, even as wider changes are being considered; Ben Stokes, however, is staying and his contract runs until the conclusion of the 2027 Ashes.

The series exposed a split in messaging between Stokes and McCullum: Stokes urged his team to “fight” and said his dressing room was “no place for weak men”, while McCullum argued for sticking to the team’s values. McCullum told Test Match Special, “Am I for being told what to do? Of course I’m not. But at the same time, I’m not pig-headed enough to think there’s not some areas that we can improve on.” England won the first 10 of their 11 matches under the pair, but in the three years since they have lost as much as they have won and have failed to win any of four marquee five-match series against India and Australia.

McCullum will remain in charge for the T20 World Cup that starts next month, and it is reported a final decision on his future will be made in the three-month period between the end of that tournament and the start of England’s Test summer; his payout if removed now is said to be in the low seven figures. The series, wrapped up in 11 days, will be looked back on with regret, and while Stokes is expected to remain, whether McCullum continues alongside him “feels far less likely” — sometimes, relationships end, and this could be another.

Key Topics

Sports, Ben Stokes, Brendon Mccullum, Rob Key, Ashes, Ecb