"Absolutely magnificent right throughout the series" - Brendon McCullum hails Ben Stokes' captaincy following 3-0 series sweep against Pakistan
England Test coach Brendon McCullum believes there's no ceiling to the success Ben Stokes can achieve with this English side. The former Kiwi captain hailed the seam-bowling all-rounder, stating that he can get the best out of every member of the team.
Under Stokes and McCullum, England have become the first team to consign Pakistan to a 3-0 Test series sweep in their backyard. The tourists sealed the whitewash within an hour on day four of the third Test in Karachi. The skipper stayed unbeaten on 35 while Ben Duckett made 82 not out.
#PAKvENG 🏴
The first Test team to ever win a clean sweep in Pakistan 🌟
🇵🇰 #PAKvENG 🏴 https://t.co/cz8cQhyFln
Speaking to Sky Sports after England's historic win, McCullum labeled Stokes' captaincy as magnificent, hailing his man-management skills and believes the side has been molded in the image of their leader. The 41-year-old also observed how the all-rounder has eased the pressure while removing the fear of failure from his teammates.
"The skipper was absolutely magnificent right throughout the series. Not just on the field, where everyone sees the decisions he makes and the strings he pulls, but it's his man-management and his ability to get the very best out of each member of the side, off the field, which is the most impressive part from our point of view," he said.
"It's the captain's mantra, this side is very much in the image of the skipper. And Stokesy wants the guys to go out there and play with the most amount of freedom that they can. He's identified that taking away that pressure and that fear of failure allows the talent and the skill to come out," he added.
England have ended the year on a high, making a remarkable turnaround from the lows of the Ashes in Australia in January and the West Indies tour in March. Since Stokes took charge of the Test side, the Englishmen have won nine Tests, including series wins against New Zealand and Pakistan, and lost only once.
"I think he's only going to get better and better and better" - Brendon McCullum on Ben Stokes
McCullum reckons that Ben Stokes has made his job a lot easier and thinks the star cricketer has the potential to become an even better captain. He stated:
"I feel incredibly lucky that I've taken over this job when Stokesy has got the reins, and I think he's only going to get better and better and better, which is quite scary. Because if he continues to improve and drive this team forward then, with the talent that sits within the dressing room, they will give it a good shake anyway. To be honest, it's a really easy job, don't tell my bosses. But I'm really enjoying myself, and I couldn't I couldn't have asked for a better opportunity."
A 3-0 series whitewash!! 🦁🦁🦁
WHAT. A. TEAM.
🇵🇰 #PAKvENG 🏴 https://t.co/wHbbq6SiyC
England's next Test assignment is a two-match series against New Zealand in February.