England say no 'big bust-up' between Stokes and McCullum as coach keeps job
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England MD Rob Key says there has been no "big bust-up" between coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes after the Ashes drubbing as he and ECB CEO Richard Gould explained why the New Zealander has kept his job.
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England say no 'big bust-up' between Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes as coach keeps job after Ashes drubbing ECB managing director Rob Key and chief executive officer Richard Gould back head coach Brendon McCullum to "adapt and evolve" after 4-1 Ashes thrashing; McCullum guided side to T20 World Cup semi-finals after hammering in Australia and will stay in job following review Monday 23 March 2026 14:00, UK England MD Rob Key says there has been no "big bust-up" between coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes after the Ashes drubbing as he and ECB CEO Richard Gould explained why the New Zealander has kept his job. Under McCullum, who is contracted until 2027, and Stokes England lost 4-1 in Australia this winter - their sole win came in a remarkable two-day Boxing Day Test in Melbourne - with their preparation and rigidly aggressive playing style criticised. There appeared a divergence in messaging between coach and captain at points but Key refuted the notion of a major clash and insisted the hierarchy were not looking for a "massive change of philosophy". Got Sky? Watch cricket live on the Sky Sports app Follow Sky Sports on WhatsApp for news and more Not got Sky? Stream cricket contract-free on NOW 'No one cares about you' - Liam Livingstone on England Key said: "You are not asking Brendon to be someone completely different; when you are not authentic as a leader, you are done. "But what we are all agreed on - Ben, Brendon, myself - is that while we want players who can score, be aggressive and soak up pressure, you have to be relentless and smart enough to adapt. "Ben's way is maybe slightly more conservative to Brendon's and that's absolutely fine. As long as ultimately you all agree on what you want from your players." Follow Sky Sports on WhatsApp Follow Sky Sports on WhatsApp for the latest news, videos, features, analysis and more Why England have kept faith with McCullum and his 'big brain' England played just one warm-up match ahead of the series - a...
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