As a sideline to the day job as England’s head coach, Brendon McCullum owns and breeds racehorses in his native New Zealand. And when a “big chestnut with a pale face and dodgy legs” emerged from the stable a while back, it apparently rang too many bells not to name it after his partner in crime, Ben Stokes.
“That horse has got a big heart, too, so I thought it was perfect,” McCullum said, before England swapped their training base in Queenstown for sunny Christchurch. The pair even went to watch the captain’s namesake, Stokes, claim a creditable third‑place finish at nearby Riccarton Park racecourse before this tour of New Zealand officially got under way, despite some concerns about its readiness.
There is no third place in a Test series, of course. And with some of the previous momentum under McCullum stalled by a year of seven wins and seven defeats thus far, England could do with quelling some increasing unrest among a section of their supporters who find their methods and selections maddening. The head coach accepts they will be judged on results and stressed they are “fiercely competitive”, even if his mantra remains that a focus on outcomes affects clarity of thought.
Eighteen months since England’s 1‑1 draw in New Zealand that ended with a one-run defeat in Wellington – the rarest of margins and after having enforced the follow-on – the two sides meet for a far more satisfying three-match affair. The hosts are favourites, fresh from a historic 3-0 clean sweep in India. Though envious of his fellow countrymen, McCullum described it as the “greatest performance” in New Zealand’s history and hailed the resourcefulness that underpinned it.
Like Stokes the racehorse, England’s lead-up to the series has been a cause for concern, be it the 2-1 defeat in Pakistan or the recent injury to Jordan Cox. Unless his replacement – likely to be Durham’s Ollie Robinson – can fly over in time, Ollie Pope will keep wicket in the first Test that starts on Wednesday. For a player under a bit of pressure, it is a complication he could probably do without.
Speaking before confirmation of Cox’s fractured finger, McCullum threw his weight behind Pope, insisting those jittery starts are not the headache folks outside the camp view them as. With his opposite number, Gary Stead, signposting an all-seam attack for the hosts at Hagley Oval, conditions will at least be a far cry from the last two surfaces in Pakistan that were dried out for the home spinners using industrial fans and saw England crumble like old plasterboard in response.
“I wouldn’t say Pakistan rocked our confidence as such but it definitely hurt,” McCullum said. “When I talk to the lads, I say you need a memory like a sieve as a cricketer. You need what’s gone before to wash over you and focus on the here and now, to make sure you’re totally present. That gives you the best opportunity.”
On Pope, who has three centuries this year but little in between, he said: “Not too many English players have churned out long careers at No 3 and been successful. It’s been a big year for him. He took on the captaincy [when Stokes missed four Tests with injury]. That makes you grow, whether it’s instantly or in time. We think that experience will make him a better player. He’s still a huge player for us.
“Even Ricky Ponting was susceptible in his first 20, 30 balls and once he got going, he’d climb into you. I’m not saying Ollie Pope is Ricky Ponting but it’s not an easy place to bat because the ball is doing more. I think he’ll appreciate the conditions here. If he does get in, these grounds with the extra bounce should suit his style.”
Stokes made his return from that hamstring injury in Pakistan but was subdued when he did so, averaging 13 with the bat across four innings and uncharacteristically allowing the game to drift during the Rawalpindi decider. His family suffering that awful burglary back home can only have had an impact, even if McCullum insists the intense work to get fit was the main factor and flying home early was never discussed. “The work he put in will come good in the next little while.”
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This tour being played where it is naturally triggers thoughts about next winter’s Ashes, even if here-and-now McCullum batted away questions about the relevance. Nevertheless, planning for that moonshot has been affected by the news that Jofra Archer – supposedly targeting a red-ball return – will start next summer at the Indian Premier League after securing a £1.4m deal in the auction on Sunday.
Unlike Stokes, who opted out of it to focus on England, Archer is believed to have been swayed by the new IPL rule that states players who did not put their name forward would be frozen out for three years. For an injury-blighted fast bowler, the desire to keep this avenue open is understandable, even if England, who have paid for his lengthy rehabilitation periods, could also be forgiven for feeling put out.
Offering a diplomatic take, McCullum said: “[Archer] is all-in for playing for England and to get back to red-ball cricket but at the same time there are significant opportunities for him. We have to be fluid. He has to continue to feel right in his own body, sustain a decent workload and put his hand up from there.
“There’s no guarantee [he will be selected when he is back in red-ball cricket] though. We have unearthed some incredible talent in the last 12 months. The stocks are looking pretty good. If he can get fit and ready and that is the skill set we are after, he puts himself in the frame for selection.”
This warning reflects the emergence of Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse, two quicks who now have the opportunity to deepen their knowhow with the Kookaburra ball on southern surfaces. Not that this tour is a mere learning exercise, with New Zealand buoyant and England needing to be at the races from the outset.
