McCullum tells Ben to go for the throat
BRENDON McCULLUM has urged Ben Stokes and Co to seize the first Test by the scruff of the neck and begin England’s long, hard climb back up the Test ladder.
The New Zealander wants the team he has adopted to light up Lord’s with explosive, attacking cricket against the side he once graced.
He faces a tough challenge as head coach trying to rebuild a side which has just one win in 17 matches to sit bottom of the World Test Championship table.
McCullum admits it will not all be full gung-ho on Thursday but his natural instinct is to attack and play positively.
Asked if if his thoughts and ideas are on a similar level to his new captain Stokes, he said: “Dangerously so! I can get a little bit excited when I see a player of Ben’s quality and also the enthusiasm about what’s about to come with it.
“I’d rather be pushing the envelope rather than being left in a position where I am forced to push it towards danger.
“Saying that, there are times when you have to stick as well as twist but we will be looking to be positive from the start.
“You can’t win Test cricket inside a single session and you can’t just go out there and swing from ball one. You have to be in for the whole fight.
“That’s the beauty of the game. You have to know when the game is drifting along and when the opportunities to seize it are.
“It’s been a difficult time for the England Test side.
“It’s my job to take away some of the pressures that may have built up in recent times and bring in some enthusiasm.
“Hopefully that will translate into some good early performances.
“We want to become the world’s No.1 Test team and we are all aspiring towards that.”