To hear Brendon McCullum speak so thoughtfully and sensitively about the plight of Ben Stokes, his captain, at The Oval on Monday was to witness a man who looks tailor-made to guide English cricket through its latest crisis.
It would be easy to be cynical about an England coach who most in the game, including this correspondent, still believe should have walked after last winter’s Ashes nightmare in Australia. Even the latest bout of tumult affecting the team could be blamed at the loose, unprofessional culture he has fostered during his time in charge.
Yet it was hard not to be impressed with how he carried himself when addressing the media two days out from England’s second Test against New Zealand.
So often a figure who comes across as too laidback and unserious, McCullum got the tone just right on this occasion. It was in stark contrast to the angry and frustrated mood shown by Rob Key, England’s managing director, when he spoke about “curfew-gate”, also at The Oval, last Thursday.
McCullum’s grave concern for Stokes’s wellbeing is obvious (Photo: Reuters)It was easily McCullum’s most impressive public appearance since taking on the England job in the summer of 2022. He picked his moment to up his game, too, given this is a coach who is dealing with a level of chaos on and off the field not seen since the 1980s.
Stokes’ ill-fated night out with Gus Atkinson after the Lord’s Test against New Zealand is only one part of what is going on. As well as the absences of the captain and Atkinson, who were both stood down for this week’s match, Ollie Robinson has been ruled out with a knee injury, while Jamie Smith might also be absent given his partner is due to give birth to their second child this week.
An XI with four changes has been named, including two debutants in Jordan Cox and Sonny Baker. It might be five though by the time interim captain Joe Root walks out to the toss on Wednesday given James Rew has been put on standby in case Smith’s unavailable.
Marshalling an inexperienced, young England team this week will be one of the biggest challenges McCullum has faced in the job.
England XI to face New Zealand (probable)
Ben Duckett Emilio Gay Jacob Bethell Joe Root (captain) Harry Brook Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper; James Rew on standby) Jordan Cox Jofra Archer Matthew Fisher Josh Tongue Sonny BakerYet there are far more important things in life than cricket and it is on this side of things that the New Zealander really stood out when speaking on Monday.
At the end of his 20-minute press conference, during which he was bombarded with questions about Stokes, you were left in no doubt how serious the situation is. Whether the captain is around for the end of the series in Nottingham next week seems pretty irrelevant right now on the basis of what McCullum told us.
Without going into specifics, we were told repeatedly how worried he was for Stokes on a personal level. His wellbeing seemed to be McCullum’s overriding concern. And that in itself was concerning.
Having shown an interest in playing for Durham in their next County Championship match that starts on Friday, fears about Stokes quitting the game for good eased.
But after this, you were left wondering whether we were all being rather naïve.
Brendon McCullum reflects on the nightclub incident which means Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson will miss the second Test against New Zealand pic.twitter.com/jdwEHU5UGu
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 15, 2026The crunch point in this appearance from McCullum came when he was asked whether it was encouraging that Stokes was back bowling in the nets at Durham and potentially playing for them.
After a jarring seven-second delay, he responded: “I’m worried about Ben. That’s it. I’ll leave it at that. I’m in constant communication with him, which is great. I care for him immensely.
“Whatever he is working through at the moment, it will be because Ben thinks that’s right for dealing with what he’s feeling at the moment. So my concern is Ben. He’s very entitled to make his own decisions around that stuff and I encourage him to keep doing stuff like that because if it gives him some joy and some satisfaction, then that’s good.”
Lost in that answer was the tone. One of concern that led you to believe that, actually, maybe playing cricket is not the right thing for Stokes at the moment.
This appeared to be someone showing genuine concern for a friend. On a human level, you’d have to have a heart of stone not to be touched by that.
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Chris Stocks: Why England need four men to replace Ben Stokes Chris Stocks: Strip Lord’s of an Ashes Test and give it to HeadingleyIt’s also only natural to worry about Stokes on a personal level. The signs were there during the first Test at Lord’s when came across as agitated before and after that match in his press conferences. The pressure on an England captain should never be underestimated.
This is also someone who has bravely spoken in the past about mental health. Stokes will only ever be commended for that.
And everybody in the country, not just the game, will wish him well. McCullum has his faults, as we all do, not least how he has gone about leading this team over the past couple of years.
But at this moment of crisis, he has been impressive. It may be a turning point in his tenure. More importantly, though, he appears to be a strong presence Stokes can lean on at this time.
In the end, that’s the most important thing right now. Even this old cynic can see that.
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