Brook's time as England's Test captain will come: McCullum
London, Aug 7
Former England red-ball head coach Brendon McCullum believes Harry Brook's time to lead the Test side will come in the future, despite him being overlooked for the top job following Ben Stokes's retirement from international cricket.
After Stokes stepped down at the conclusion of the home series against New Zealand, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) opted to reappoint veteran batter Joe Root as captain instead of elevating Brook, who served as vice-captain during the series.
Brook was also passed over when Root briefly filled in after Stokes was suspended for a curfew breach during the second Test at The Oval. McCullum, who remains England's white-ball coach while Stephen Fleming takes over the Test mantle, backed the explosive batter to eventually take charge of the red-ball side.
"Everyone knows the affection that I have for Harry. He's a wonderful player and he's doing a fine job as white-ball leader. I think his time will come in the Test job. I'm looking forward to working with him and hopefully growing and developing him into the leader that he can become.
"At some stage in the future, he will have a very important role in that capacity. But for now, Joe will do an amazing job," McCullum opined. McCullum told Sky Sports on the sidelines of The Hundred.
McCullum also lavishly praised his fellow countryman Fleming, who will take charge of the red-ball side full-time ahead of the tour of South Africa in December. Marcus Trescothick will serve as interim head coach for the upcoming home series against Pakistan, starting on August 19.
"I had a great time in my four years, but now it's going in a different direction, I think Flem will be excellent. He's a little bit like me, but better - that's how I would sum him up. He'll do a great job, and the ECB have done incredibly well to get someone like him to commit to English cricket for the period that he has. It's an outstanding achievement."
Speaking on his relationship with Fleming, McCullum highlighted their shared vision of driving English cricket forward across all three formats. "We talk pretty much every day, we're close mates. We've done a lot together and he's one of those guys who I trust completely. We both just want what's best for English cricket.
"We want to set this up so that English cricket can be successful across all three formats of the game. That is going to take some give and take at times, we both understand that, but we will work very closely together and give everyone the best opportunity to get the success that we all want to see," he concluded.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Harry Brook is such a phenomenal talent! 🇬🇧🏏 His aggressive batting style reminds me of Sehwag. But captaincy is a different ball game entirely - just look at how even greats like Ganguly struggled initially. Joe Root bringing back stability is a smart move. Brook will learn and grow, and his time will definitely come!
I'm skeptical about this constant chopping and changing in England's setup. Ben Stokes was a great all-rounder captain, and now they're going back to Root. Meanwhile, Brook gets overlooked despite being vice-captain. Seems like there's some confusion at the top. In India, we have a clear succession plan - we should be thankful for that.
McCullum saying "he's a little bit like me, but better" about Fleming - that's what we call a true friend! 😄 The Kiwi connection in English cricket is strong. As someone who watches both IPL and international cricket, I appreciate the tactical nuances that New Zealand coaches bring. Stephen Fleming's IPL experience with CSK is unmatched!
The ECB seems to be in a transition phase, but they're handling it well. Root's comeback as captain makes sense for the Pakistan series - he has the experience. Brook is only 26-27, so he has plenty of time. Our own team management could learn from this balanced approach to grooming future leaders instead of rushing them into captaincy.
As someone who follows cricket from abroad, I think McCullum handled this well. Brook is clearly the future, but he needs time
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