Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
England’s 2025-26 Ashes campaign has taken another intense turn, and this time the focus is on Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum. After all the criticism and pressure, Ben Stokes made one thing very clear. The star all-rounder cannot see himself leading the England Test team without McCullum as head coach.
England’s thrilling victory over Australia in the Boxing Day Test brought rare relief to Stokes and McCullum, but did not end the possibility of their dismissal. It was their first Test victory in Australia since January 2011 and came after the Ashes had already slipped away in just 11 days in Australia.
Ben Stokes issues ultimatum to ECB
Stokes has issued a stern warning to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), saying he will step down as England Test captain if they decide to sack McCullum. The harsh ultimatum leaves the ECB ready to carry out a post-mortem after England’s Ashes tour of Australia.
Your daily dose of cricket!
Read also: Monty Panesar reacts after Usman Khawaja calls out racism in Australian cricket
McCullum and England chief executive Rob Key face constant questions over their futures. Both remained calm and made it clear that they were ready to continue unless the ECB decided otherwise. The final decision now rests with the ECB’s chief executive, Richard Gould, and its chairman, Richard Thompson, but Stokes warned of radical changes.
What did Ben Stokes say?
Ben Stokes was quoted as telling ESPNCricinfo: “Ashes tours in the past haven’t gone well. But if you do what we did four years ago, we will find ourselves in the same situation. I really enjoyed the time I spent working with Brendon. I can’t think of anyone else I could take this team with. [with]from where we are now, to even greater heights.
The captain added: “We’ve put a lot of time and effort into getting this team to where it was when we started, and now we’re in a situation or a position where we know we want to get even more out of the group and get even more out of the individuals, and we think we’ve done a really good job of getting everyone to the position we’re in now.”
The Stokes-McCullum partnership and its results
Ben Stokes points to their overall record as evidence of progress despite failing to win four of their five-match Test series, two each against Australia and India. Under their leadership, England won 26 Tests and lost 17.
Read also: AUS vs ENG Match Prediction: Who will win the 5th Test? The Ashes 2026
However, the skipper does not hide his recent difficulties. Stokes admitted that last year failed to live up to expectations, with England winning just four and losing five of their 10 Tests in 2025.
The ECB’s multi-million pound dilemma
The board of directors is now faced with a difficult decision with significant financial and sporting consequences. McCullum has the ECB contract until the end of the home Ashes in 2027, so ending his all-format contract would be costly for the board to terminate.
And then, there is no obvious, ready-made successor to Stokes or McCullum. Harry Brook is considered a future leader but he is still developing. Finding a head coach who fits Stokes’ vision is even more difficult. Additionally, removing both would force a complete strategic reset.
