Mccullum to axe curfew after signing £2m deal
Captain Stokes also in favour of dropping midnight limit New England Test coach will want players to put team first
Brendon Mccullum is likely to make relaxing England’s midnight team curfew one of his first big decisions after signing a four-year £2million contract as the new Test head coach.
It is understood that Ben Stokes is keen for the curfew to be dropped, and he is unlikely to meet opposition from Mccullum, who will want to build a good working relationship with his captain from day one as they embark on a partnership that could include two Ashes series over the length of his deal.
The midnight curfew has been in place since 2017 when it was imposed by then team director Sir Andrew Strauss after a string of latenight drinking sessions became public. He acted after Jonny Bairstow’s playful head-butt in a Perth nightclub emerged during the first Ashes Test of the 2017-18 tour.
That followed on from Stokes’s arrest in Bristol, which happened in the early hours of the morning after a one-day international against West Indies.
The curfew was irrelevant during the pandemic because players were confined to hotels anyway, but it was reimposed by Ashley Giles, with the blessing of Joe Root and Eoin Morgan, when touring resumed a level of normality last winter. The curfew required players to be back at the hotel by midnight.
They were allowed to carry on socialising after that point, but only within the team hotel.
It was deeply unpopular with some senior players, who felt it was an overly authoritarian move.
It is understood Stokes believes players should be responsible for their own actions and that if they are treated like adults, they will act accordingly.
If they go out drinking when it would be unprofessional for the team’s cause, then they will be held responsible.
He says he has learned from his own mistakes and has said he wants “selfless cricketers”.
Mccullum mentioned team culture in his first statement yesterday and as captain of New Zealand adopted a relaxed approach to player management, but was also renowned for his toughness. He
shares many of the same ideas and values as New Zealand-born Stokes and both are keen on players taking personal responsibility for their behaviour.
“I believe in Brendon and Ben Stokes – a formidable coach and captain partnership,” Rob Key, the England team director, said. “Time for us all to buckle up and get ready for the ride.”
Mccullum has resigned as coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders. He will join England as soon as their Indian Premier League season ends, which could be by the middle of next week if they do not reach the play-offs. Mccullum played 101 Tests for New Zealand, becoming the first Kiwi to score a Test triple century.
Mccullum picks up England’s Test side after five consecutive series defeats and just one victory in 17 Tests. He had initially been approached about the vacant whiteball job but last night disclosed that he turned it down as the challenge of lifting England’s Test team from “rock bottom” held a greater appeal.
“The white ball [job] did not interest me as the team is flying, one of the best teams in the world, obviously world champions as well after winning the 2019 World Cup,” he told New Zealand radio. “I wasn’t really interested in a cushy gig. If you are prepared to change your life for something it’s got to be something that’s a bit grunty and a little bit meaty, the challenge of trying to bring a team that’s rock bottom at the moment.”
Mccullum has already spoken some home truths to his boss. “I’ve enjoyed several robust conversations with Rob Key about the direction of travel for the team and have found his enthusiasm contagious,” he said earlier. “I’m no stranger to bringing about change within a team environment, and I can’t wait to get started.”