Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on April 14, 2026
2 min readLast updated: April 14, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleEngland captain Ben Stokes downplayed reports of friction with coach Brendon McCullum, emphasizing that although they sometimes differ, they’re aligned on winning and resolve disagreements constructively.
April 14 (Reuters) - England captain Ben Stokes has played down reports of disagreements with head coach Brendon McCullum but added that they do have different viewpoints at times.
British media reported that former New Zealand captain McCullum's relationship with test captain Stokes frayed during the recent 4-1 Ashes series defeat in Australia, though the duo have publicly backed each other.
"I am very confident in mine and Brendon's ability to be able to work together, because we've done it for such a long period of time now," Stokes said in an interview with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
"But work together in a slightly different way. The main point of me and Brendon is our alignment towards winning things and making this team as good as they can be."
Since taking charge in 2022, McCullum and Stokes implemented an ultra-aggressive style of play known as "Bazball", which has come under much scrutiny since England's Ashes defeat, which prompted the ECB to launch a thorough review into the team’s preparations.
McCullum was retained as coach.
"Agreeing on every single thing, that's just impossible," Stokes said.
"We agree 95% of the time on things, but those 5% things that we might have different views on, we talk about it between each other and then we end up getting to the place where we want to get to.
"We put a lot of our heart and soul into this job. Brendon certainly has for the four years he's done it so far, and hopefully we'll still be together at the end of 2027, winning what we want to win."
England host New Zealand for a three-test series in June before eight limited-overs matches at home to India.
(Reporting by Karan Prashant Saxena in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)
Ben Stokes downplayed reports of disagreements, stating that while he and Brendon McCullum have different viewpoints at times, they work effectively together.
Since 2022, Stokes and McCullum have implemented an ultra-aggressive playing style known as 'Bazball', which has drawn attention after England's Ashes defeat.
Stokes is confident in his and McCullum's ability to work together, noting their strong alignment towards team success and mutual respect.
England will host New Zealand for a three-test series in June, followed by eight limited-overs matches at home against India.
The ECB launched a thorough review into the team's preparations but ultimately retained Brendon McCullum as head coach.
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