By Tim Wigmore
Brendon McCullum has said that both James Anderson and Stuart Broad will be given an Ashes swansong next year when England host Australia.
Anderson and Broad turn 41 and 37 respectively in 2023, but the England Test coach confirmed that he wanted the pair to be around for the Ashes, which start in June.
After they were controversially dropped for England’s tour of the West Indies in March, the duo took 56 wickets between them as England won six Tests out of seven this summer – the first time they have done so at home since 2004.
“They’ll be here,” McCullum said when asked if they would feature in next year’s Ashes. “They’re both smiling. How good’s that? Those guys are phenomenal cricketers. They could finish any time they wanted and they’d still be considered greats of the game.”
McCullum hailed the wider impact of England’s two highest-ever wicket-takers beyond their impact on the pitch, and how Broad had adjusted to being first-change bowler in the last two Tests of the summer, after Ollie Robinson returned to the side.
“What they’re doing is continuing to build on the legacy they’re going to leave for the next generation – the time they’re giving other people in the dressing room is phenomenal,” he said. “Stuff you don’t see behind the scenes.
Anderson and Broad are England’s two most prolific Test wicket-takers, boasting 1233 scalps between them.Credit:Getty
“I’ve really enjoyed working alongside those two guys as well, trying to ensure that every day they’re enjoying themselves. The skipper [Ben Stokes] is good at that as well. It was a remarkable performance from both of them, and Jimmy has obviously been phenomenal all season, and the way Broady has stepped into that first-change role and embraced it and performed the way he has is also a mark of the person he is, and long may that continue.”
After England’s previous run of one victory in 17 Tests, McCullum admitted that he was surprised at the speed of the side’s transformation. But he said that he was even more pleased with the side’s approach and embrace of a more attacking philosophy.
“It’s been a lot of fun. You’ve got high expectations in terms of results, but you’ve got to find a way to take results out of play when you set about the summer.
“I was surprised how good we’ve been. I knew there was a lot of talent in English cricket. I didn’t realise it was this much and the guys were as good as what they are.”
England have flourished under captain Ben Stokes (left) and coach Brendon McCullum less than a year out from the Ashes.Credit:Getty
McCullum said that he always had high expectations of Stokes as a captain, but that he had surpassed them after working together this summer.
“With Stokesy, I thought he’d be good as a leader, but I didn’t realise he’d be quite as good as what he is. You put all those elements into the pot, and you play against good opposition and still find a way to succeed, you look back on the summer and say that was pretty good fun.
“His own game is phenomenal, his leadership qualities are amazing and he runs through brick walls for the side, as we’ve seen with some of his bowling spells.
“He’s not just been able to deliver a message but allowed the message to go across the entire group, and do it comfortably in a short period of time.”
Ahead of his return home to New Zealand for two months, before meeting up with England in Abu Dhabi at their training camp for the Test series in Pakistan in December, McCullum urged his players to enjoy their achievements this summer.
“These summers don’t come around often, and these memories don’t get created easily,” he said. “So, allow that to simmer away. That will allow us, when we come across opposition away and conditions are different, to be able to call on some of those fond memories.
“Obviously, you’ve got to be able to do things differently in different conditions, but for now let’s enjoy what we’ve been able to achieve.
“My job is to ensure that we’re always reminding ourselves that this job is meant to be the greatest time of our life, being a cricketer at the highest level and trying to create memories that you look back over in time. That’s the results, but it’s also the fun and the camaraderie that you build up.”
Telegraph, London
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