Yesterday, the former Blackcaps captain Brendon McCullum was appointed as the head coach of the England Test team. This will be his first red-ball stint after serving as a coach in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
In a recent interview with SNTV, The ECB Strategic Advisor Andrew Strauss explained the rationale behind choosing the swashbuckling batter as the coach and revealed the expectations from the 40-year-old in the future.
Strauss reckoned that the former dasher has got that x-factor because he has gone through his business during his playing career and a limited stint as a coach. He thinks McCullum perfectly fits into the scheme of things with captain Ben Stokes and managing director Rob Key.
"I think he's got that X-factor, something different about him. We saw that in the way he played his cricket, and we've seen that in the limited opportunities he's had to coach up until now. And it fits very comfortably with both what Rob Key wants to see from this England team and how Ben Stokes wants to play the game as well," said Strauss.
The former England captain was asked about McCullum having no experience in coaching first-class cricket and Test cricket. He responded by saying the 40-year-old has played 100 Test matches and has been a proven leader for the Kiwi team. Strauss thinks it will be a different role but hopes McCullum will succeed because of his track record and alignment with Ben Stokes.
"I don't think so because he was such an influential captain of New Zealand. He played 100 Test matches; he really transformed the way that Test team played and put the foundations in place, which we are seeing with New Zealand cricket in both forms of the game. So, he's got the pedigree; he's got the record. Yes, it's a slightly different role for him, but he will surround himself with good people as well, and as I said before, he will be very well aligned with Ben Stokes as captain," Strauss added.
In the end, the former southpaw feels the appointment of McCullum for the coaching role will bring back optimism and enthusiasm for the England Test team.
"I think there will be a feeling of optimism and enthusiasm around English cricket, which has been missing for quite a long time," Strauss concluded.
Brendon McCullum succeeded Chris Silverwood after the latter was sacked due to the team's bad performances.
England is at last position in the World Test Championship 2021-23 points table with only 1 win in 13 appearances. The pair of Stokes and McCullum will face a stern test when they collide against New Zealand in a 3-match Test series.