Stokes reveals England coaching ambition, says McCullum would have stayed had he not retired
London, August 4
Former England captain Ben Stokes has revealed his ambition to become England's head coach after retiring from playing, saying he wants to remain involved in the game in a leadership role.
Stokes said coaching England would be a dream, though he is unsure if that opportunity will ever come.
Stokes stepped down as England's Test captain and retired from international cricket after England's 2-1 Test series defeat to New Zealand in June, which came on the heels of a 4-1 Ashes series loss to Australia over the winter.
"I want to be a coach. I know what I want to do in terms of staying within the game - which is to be a coach," Stokes said on the For The Love of Cricket podcast, as per Sky Sports.
"Would I love to be coach of England one day? Absolutely. I would love to be able to do that. Do I think it's going to happen? I don't know. No idea. Then, further on from that, I don't know. I just really like the idea of being, again, in some form of leadership away from playing," he added.
Stokes also claimed that Brendon McCullum would have remained England's Test head coach had he not announced his retirement from international cricket just weeks earlier.
"I was [surprised]. If I hadn't made the decision that I made four weeks ago, Baz would still be coach. So it's my fault!" he added.
Stokes captained England's Test side from 2022 to 2026, forging a successful partnership with head coach Brendon McCullum as the duo transformed the team's approach to red-ball cricket.
McCullum's departure as Test head coach was announced just two weeks after Stokes retired from international cricket, a decision he revealed on the fourth day of England's third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge.
— ANI
Reader Comments
It's interesting how Stokes takes responsibility for McCullum leaving. But honestly, the England cricket board should have handled this transition better. Two legends leaving within weeks of each other - that's poor planning. Indian cricket could learn from this, we handle transitions quite smoothly.
Stokes as coach? He's still young and has that fire in him. But coaching is completely different from playing. Look at how our Indian legends like Ganguly, Dravid, and now Gambhir have transitioned - it takes time. Hope Stokes finds his footing, he's a proper cricket brain. 🙌
I admire Stokes' honesty here. Most players would never admit they caused their coach to leave. But that's Ben Stokes - always upfront. England needs someone with his fighting spirit in the dressing room, whether as coach or mentor. All the best to him!
Respect to Stokes for aiming high, but England's coaching setup needs more than just passion. Look at how India's support staff works - we have specialists for everything. Stokes alone can't fix England's red-ball struggles. They need a proper structure, not just a big name.
This feels like the end of an era for English cricket. Stokes and McCullum changed the game's approach, and now both are gone. As an Aussie fan, I'm relieved! 😄 But seriously, respect to Stokes - he's a warrior. Would love to see him coach against Australia one day.
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