Ben Stokes warns against England sacking Brendon McCullum after disappointing Ashes defeat - 'We'll just end up back in the same situation'
Published 02/01/2026 at 13:44 GMT
England captain Ben Stokes has warned against the dismissal of coach Brendon McCullum after his side's disappointing defeat to Australia in the 2025/26 NRMA Insurance men's Ashes. McCullum and Rob Key, England's managing director, are under increased scrutiny after Australia wrapped up the series in the opening three matches, ensuring England would be without the urn for more than a decade.
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Ben Stokes has "no doubt" that Brendon McCullum should keep his position as England coach, warning that his dismissal could continue an unproductive trend.
McCullum, alongside England's managing director Rob Key, have been under increased pressure after Australia secured victory in the 2025/26 NRMA Insurance men's Ashes in the opening three matches.
Defeat down under continued a dominant period for Australia in the series, with England having not won the urn since 2015 - though they did avoid a whitewash with their first Test victory on Australian soil since 2010/11 in Melbourne.
Ahead of the fifth and final Test in Sydney - live on TNT Sports and discovery+ - England captain Stokes placed his confidence in McCullum as he feels no other coach could come into the camp and garner stronger results.
"There is no doubt in my mind that me and Brendon are the right people to carry on doing this for the near future," said Stokes.
Asked if he and McCullum come as a partnership, Stokes replied: "I can't see there being someone else who could take this team from where we are now to even bigger heights."
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McCullum succeeded Chris Silverwood when he was appointed as England's men's Test head coach in May 2022, in the wake of the heavy Ashes defeat in the last series down under.
And Stokes - who himself replaced Joe Root as captain after that series - has warned that another casualty in the coaching department could only harm England's chances of progress.
He said: "We have not won here since 2010/11 and since that series things have happened because we think people need to change things, but it has not really worked, has it?
"There's a lot of people who sit above me. Ashes tours in the past haven't gone well. But if you do what we did four years ago, we'll just end up back in the same situation."
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Just over a week after the final Ashes Test is scheduled to conclude, McCullum is due to lead his white-ball England side on their tour of Sri Lanka - live on TNT Sports and discovery+ - ahead of the T20 World Cup.
And Stokes said he would "hope" to be kept informed of any changes to England's coaching set-up.
"It is a situation nobody knows whether it is going to happen or not, but we're both pretty keen on carrying on doing what we are doing," said Stokes.
McCullum assumed control of the white-ball set-up at the start of 2025, after Matthew Mott stepped down. Since combining his roles, McCullum has led England to four victories in 10 Test outings.
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But Stokes does not feel the New Zealander's dual role is having a detrimental effect on the Test team, insisting: "It has not influenced the relationship we have with this Test team whatsoever."
Both Stokes and McCullum have contracts until the end of 2027, which encompass the home Ashes series that year.
Shoaib Bashir and Matthew Potts were both named in England's 12-man squad for the fifth Test in Sydney, with there set to be at least one change to the fourth Test-winning side following Gus Atkinson's hamstring injury.
Coverage of the fifth Test on TNT Sports 1 and discovery+ begins at 22:30 (UK time) on January 3.
Watch live coverage of the fifth and final Ashes Test in Sydney, starting on Saturday January 3, on TNT Sports and discovery+
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