FILE PHOTO: Cricket - First Test - England Practice Session - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - August 20, 2024 England's Ben Stokes during practice Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith/File photo
(Reuters) - England test captain Ben Stokes has welcomed coach Brendon McCullum being given additional charge of the country's limited- overs sides.
New Zealander McCullum's appointment as England head coach across all formats came after a two-year period of having separate coaches for the white and red-ball teams and followed Matthew Mott's departure as limited-overs coach in July.
McCullum took charge of the test side in May 2022 and quickly oversaw a big improvement, introducing an ultra-aggressive style of play that came to be known as "Bazball".
"I think it's an unbelievable move for English cricket to go back to having one coach in charge of all the teams. You look at what Baz has achieved with the test side, it's been amazing," Stokes told ESPNCricinfo.
McCullum, 42, has extended his contract to the end of 2027 and will take charge of the limited-overs sides when England tour India in January next year.
"I'm really excited for the white-ball team to have the opportunity to be able to work with Baz, listen to him speak, his opinions," Stokes said.
"All the new faces who are coming into that white-ball team now, I couldn't think of a better person for them to come in and work under at international level for the first time.
"I'm an England cricket fan and I couldn't think of a better person to be appointed to be the new coach of the white-ball team as well."
Under McCullum, England have won 19 of 28 tests, and six series out of nine, with their only series defeat coming in India this year.
(Reporting by Suramya Kaushik in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)
