England red ball manager Brendon McCullum wants Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad in his Ashes squad next summer; The pair have been an integral part of the new Test side since McCullum and captain Ben Stokes took over.
James Anderson and Stuart Broad will be in Brendon McCullum’s team to take on Australia in the Ashes next summer.
James Anderson and Stuart Broad will be part of the England squad for next year’s Ashes series against Australia, says head coach Brendon McCullum.
Anderson, 40, and Broad, 36, were part of the England team that suffered a 4-0 defeat in Australia at the last Ashes, then both were eliminated from the three-Test series in the West Indies, where England lost 1-0.
Andrew Strauss, interim managing director of England men’s cricket at the time, said they were ruled out to “look at some exciting new bowling potential and give some additional responsibility to other players who have appeared previously”.
However, mired in a 17-Test winning streak, England appointed Ben Stokes to replace Joe Root as captain in April and hired McCullum as manager in May.
Broad and Anderson returned to the team under new leadership, helping the team win six of their seven Tests this summer.
“Yeah, they’ll be here,” McCullum told reporters when asked if they’d be in his Ashes squad.
“They are both smiling. How good is that? Those guys are phenomenal cricketers. They could finish any time they wanted and they would still be considered the best in the game.”
“What they’re doing is continuing to build on the legacy that they’re going to leave for the next generation — the time they’re giving other people in the locker room is phenomenal.
“Things you don’t see behind the scenes. The time and effort and trust that they’re giving the other guys is pretty remarkable, really.”
McCullum also praised Captain Stokes.
“His own game is phenomenal, his leadership qualities are amazing and he goes through brick walls on the side, as we’ve seen with some of his bowling spells,” McCullum said.
“I thought he would be good as a leader, but I didn’t realize he would be as good as he is.”
Rob Key has highlighted the “incredible job” Stokes and McCullum have done to turn around the fortunes of the England Test squad this summer, saying the pair have “that little bit of magic”.
speaking to sky sports after England’s series-clinching nine-wicket win at The Oval, Key admitted that even he has been surprised by the change.
“When I took on this job, I thought that anything that happens this year is a bonus,” said the general manager of England men’s cricket. “We just wanted to try to win a couple of games and see what happens from there.
“What Stokes, McCullum and those players have done, and all the support staff and coaches that have come on board, has been an incredible job.
“My point of view was always that we needed to change the mindset of our cricket. Then I went to try and find people who could do that, and they’ve done it better than I thought anyone could, to be honest.”
