On Tuesday, the England Cricket Board announced that Brendon McCullum, who has been the coach of the Test side of England since 2022, will also take charge of the white-ball teams from next year. This change is part of England’s new leadership plan.

Brendon McCullum’s popular ‘Bazball’ approach will now influence the England cricket team in the white-batt formats of the game. Earlier, the busy international schedule of the England cricket team had made it tough for one person to handle both the red-ball format and the white-ball format of the game, especially with overlapping games.

However, with the new changes in the cricketing calendar, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and McCullum feel that managing the team in all formats is now possible.

Brendon McCullum’s contract has also been extended until 2027.

“The idea of a unified coaching structure, especially with the schedule easing next year, made perfect sense,” McCullum said. “I’m energized by the prospect of guiding both teams and am grateful for the support from the ECB and my family as I take on these added responsibilities.”

For the unversed, England’s white-ball coach Matthew Mott stepped down as England’s white-ball coach on July 30 after overseeing the team’s disappointing performances in the ODI and T20 World Cup titles.

“The talent within English cricket is immense, and I’m looking forward to helping these players reach their full potential,” McCullum said. “My goal is to create an environment where everyone can thrive and where we can continue to compete at the highest level across all formats.”

Brendon McCullum will begin his dual coaching roles in January, aligning with England’s white-ball tour of India and the Champions Trophy.

Ben Stokes On McCullum’s New Role

Meanwhile, England’s red-ball Ben Stokes told Sky Sports when asked to share his thoughts on McCullum’s new role said: “I think it’s great for English cricket.” He added: “What Baz (Brendon McCullum) has given to this team and the individuals in the team and the confidence it has instilled in myself and the team is brilliant.”

“I am really looking forward to the guys who are involved in the white-ball team to experience that as well. He is a fantastic human being and a great coach. I am really excited for the white-ball side to be able to go forward with Baz and Jos (Buttler) in front. He (McCullum) obviously has taken this challenge on board because he feels like he can make a difference and he can help and that’s something you want in your coach.”

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"He's a fantastic human being and a great coach" 🗣️

Ben Stokes says "it's great for English cricket" that Brendon McCullum has been appointed England white-ball coach in addition to role as Test coach 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿pic.twitter.com/n0y7NjuOQV

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) September 4, 2024

Stokes emphasized the importance of having a coach who understands what they’re signing up for and brings a clear plan, rather than someone who merely reacts to situations and lets the players dictate the terms.

“You don’t want a coach who’s just gonna come in and let things just play out and whatever will be.. will be…but Baz is a very determined person to come in and make an influence wherever he goes in the world as a coach. I think it’s unbelievable for English cricket that Brendon’s gonna be coaching both teams,” Stokes concluded.

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The Test cricket is the longest format of cricket, which consists of 4 days and 2 innings in which both the teams have to compete with each other till the end, and if not able to make the needed runs then the match gets drawn, unlike the white ball cricket, where in limited overs the given target has to be chased, and if not done then the team with the highest runs claims the victory.

The role of captain is more crucial than any other in the Test match; the captain has to strategize and analyse each session according to the playing style of the opponent. The test match is a game of patience; no matter if the team is bowling or batting, the plan has to be super solid throughout, and each player in the team has to be on the same page to choke the opponent.

The more perseverance and awareness one captain has, the more chances of winning the match increase for his/her team. There are some successful captains who did not let the situation get over in their or the team’s head and handled the situation by alleviating the heat with the opponents at the ground.

3 Active Captains With Most Test Wins

3. Rohit Sharma 10 wins, 16 games

Rohit Sharma got the captaincy due to the hastened removal of Virat Kohli’s captaincy in 2022 from all formats. Rohit stepped in and took over the control from there, as he was the most successful captain of the IPL already, so he got the opportunity to lead the team India as well across all formats.

Rohit started his reign of captaincy with Sri Lanka in 2022. He claimed the victory in the Test series against Sri Lanka by 2-0 at home. Sooner he formed a core team to play with and compete with the greatest rivals in international cricket.

In the following year, 2023, India won the home series against their Border Gavaskar Trophy rivals Australia. Although after a couple of months, Rohit Sharma successfully made team India reach the finals of the World Test Championship. Unfortunately, his team has to face the jolt in the finals of the WTC against Australia.

Later, Rohit Sharma and Co. conquered the West Indies with a 1-0 win and stunned South Africa in an away series with a one-all. Sooner he registered a huge series win against England of 4-1 at home in March this year, 2024. The English athletes got a huge upset in India with this series as they were not able to cope with the conditions of the climate in India.

Adding all of that marks over 10 wins in Rohit Sharma’s captaincy in his tenure of leading 16 matches. This averages a 62.50% win percentage as a captain.

2. Pat Cummins: 17 wins in 28 matches

From the time Pat Cummins got the responsibility of leading Aussies in late 2021, the man silenced the critics with a convincing victory in the great Ashes series at home. Sooner he won the series against Pakistan in an away series and drew a series against Sri Lanka after that. Since then, he has claimed victories against the West Indies and South Africa during the 2022–23 season.

Later in the away series against India in the Border Gavaskar Trophy, he had to face the loss but bounced back hard when they avenged India at the crucial stage of the World Test Championship in 2023 and also took over a huge win against England in the Ashes. Both of the pivotal series happened within a span of two months.

Pat Cummins and Co. went to Pakistan for a Test series and justified their title of World Test Championship by winning the series at their home by 3-0. Further, they converted another victory against the West Indies in New Zealand.

Pat Cummins has been a beast in terms of captaincy, as he has claimed a total of 17 centuries out of 28 matches and just six losses. His winning percentage stood up to 60.71% at the start of 2024.

1. Ben Stokes: 17 wins in 27 matches

Ben Stokes was appointed as the captain of England in the absence of Joe Root for an interim basis in 2020. Later in mid-2022, the extravagant all-rounder got the full control and responsibility of the team to lead when Joe Root stepped down from captaincy.

After taking the role of captaincy, he worked along with the head coach, Brendon McCullum, and went for a wild chase of excellence, where he got 10 victories in England’s next 11 matches against New Zealand, India, South Africa, and Pakistan. The test series against Pakistan at their home got the most attention by seeing the no-hold-barred approach of the new captain, Ben Stokes.

England’s team adopted the ‘Bazball’ mentality in their batting, where they showed an aggressive approach with the bat and started to build their legacy of victories. England levelled the Ashes at home and won the solitary test against Ireland, their continental rivals. Although the team got a huge loss in an away test series against India.

They bounced back in 2024 in their further matches with four successive wins against the West Indies and Sri Lanka, i.e., also going on right now. The dashing all-rounder got England a total of seventeen victories in twenty-seven matches.

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The Hundred League just ended on 18th August 2024, in which we saw Oval Invincibles slay it till the end of the tournament and win the title of the tournament. The tournament was a roller coaster ride where we saw so many potentially rich, talented players among all the teams. 

Here in this article, we will disclose our best playing eleven from the tournament that would have made it nearly impossible for any team to win against. Although we all know cricket is a team game, more than just the talent and skill set, you also need to endure that unity in the team by using the strengths of the players to the advantage of the team and seeking victory rather than individual milestones. 

Sam Curran 

The bowling all-rounder who did wonders in the tournament this year broke the record for giving out the best performance in a single game, where he smashed a century and took a five-wicket haul in the same game.

He would provide the team of best 11 with a greater depth in all the departments, as his strength was his versatility to bat and bowl in any situation, not just specific areas of the department, which could be his USP too, further for the auction next year. He was the third-highest wicket-taker of the Hundred League this year, totaling up to 17 wickets, and the 8th-highest run scorer. 

Ben Stokes 

The captain of the England team who led a great series recently against the West Indies and won it with a greater gap. He could lead the team of the best 11 efficiently, as he has the much-needed experience to lead a team. Being an all-format player, he can allocate the roles of the players pretty well.

He himself provides the team with a better balance by being a versatile player who can bat or bowl anywhere and anytime when needed for the team. He played for the Northern Superchargers this season but got an early exit from the Hundred League due to his hamstring injury, which also raised concerns about him being available for the national duties as well.

Nicholas Pooran 

The hard-hitter from the West Indies, Nicholas Pooran, played for the Northern Superchargers this season, in which he ended up being the 4th highest scorer of the tournament. He managed to make a total of 227 runs with an impressive average of 45.40 in the Hundred League. He could be used as an opener for the best 11 to begin destruction from the start. 

Adam Zampa 

The spinning wizard from Australia ended up as the highest wicket-taker of the Hundred League with 19 wickets in his pocket. He was a part of the Oval Invincibles and was one of the crucial reasons for contributing to the victory of the team and taking wickets in such a fast-paced format where bowler’s nightmares are seen often; he performed exceptionally well.  

Tymal Mills 

The England-born left-arm pacer who made the ball swing crazily for the batsman and gave us a taste of test match bowling by showing off his skills in the Hundred League. He took the same amount of wickets as Adam Zampa i.e. 19 but with a slightly higher economy than Zampa of 9.30 whereas Zampa had an economy of 7.33 in the tournament. He could be utilized for bowling from the new ball in the best 11, as his left-arm pacing action can create a problem for the openers of the opposition. 

Chris Jordan 

He played a major part in some of the victories of the Southern Brave in the Hundred League. He recently played for England in the T20 World Cup and has represented England in various international matches. His experience with international players can be useful for the best 11 and choke the opposition from scoring runs. 

Jofra Archer

The right-arm pacer is known for his windmill bowling action, which gives him the strength to get the bowl near to the wickets or batsman sooner than he can predict, and he usually gets a wicket out of his terror of bowling onto the body of the batsman.

Though in this season of the Hundred League, his performance did not really come out well, after he came back from his injury and its recovery, he has been finding his right speed and pitching. 

Akeal Hosein

The slow left-arm magician from the West Indies who played for Souther Brave in the Hundred League. He is known for bowling the first over from white ball cricket, mainly because his variations are extravagant.

He can spin and swing the ball in both directions simultaneously, which makes it harder for the batsman to pick and hit. He could be the great potential spinner for the best 11 to add as a surprise element for the opposition. 

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An experienced county cricket player who led the team of the Southern Brave in the Hundred League. He ended up as the highest scorer of the tournament, totaling up to 424 runs, and even managed to make his team reach the finals, where he made 24 runs but unfortunately could not score more and lost it. His experience in county cricket and playing on those grounds could help the team’s best 11 in planning and execution. 

Ben Duckett 

The top-order batsman from England played for Birmingham Phoenix in the tournament and made the 2nd most runs out of all the teams. His total runs were 269 with a huge average of 67.25 and a staggering strike rate of 171.33, which is ideal for this format. His striking ability to hit from the power play makes him an ideal pick for the best 11. 

Rashid Khan 

The face of Afghanistan Cricket, a leg spinner whose records are unmatchable at such an early age. He played for the Trent Rockets in this season of the Hundred League and managed to pick up nine wickets only.

Although his form was not great in the tournament and he also got back injury issues chasing him for a year, he is the best choice for providing the team with the support of stopping the flow of runs as he is among the top-rated players around the globe in T20 cricket. His whiteball performance is extraordinarily good for the best 11 to win and nail it. 

Louis Kimber Setting New County Records

At 27, Louis Kimber delivered one of the most memorable innings in County Championship history, setting new county records. He scored the fastest double-hundred, reaching 200 in just 100 balls, hit a record 21 sixes, and set another record by scoring 43 runs in a single over off England seamer Ollie Robinson. The previous championship record of 38 runs per over, set in 1998 by Lancashire’s Andrew Flintoff against Surrey’s Alex Tudor, was shattered just two days ago when Lawrence took Bashir apart.

In the Robinson over, Louis Kimber (243 off 127 balls) scored a 62-ball hundred and continued to make a 100-delivery double century, which is the quickest in County Championship history. This feat beat the 123-ball score made by Aneurin Donald for Glamorgan against Derbyshire in 2016. Kimber hit a double century off just 100 balls on day four of the Division 1 match against Sussex. Kimber’s performance is second only to Afghanistan batter Shafiqullah Shinwari’s 89-ball effort in the Afghan first-class match between Kabul and the Boost region in 2017/18.

Record for Most Sixes in an Innings With Breaking Ben Stokes’ Record

Louis Kimber broke Ben Stokes’ 2022 Championship record with 21 sixes in an innings, surpassing Durham’s 17 against Worcestershire. What made it even more remarkable was Kimber’s record until today. He made his only previous century against Sussex in 2022 and averaged a modest 24.46, yet he cut, pulled, and drove the Sussex attack to distraction in an uninhibited display of power and timing, becoming the fourth-highest scorer by a No. 8 in first-class cricket.

Overcoming Challenges and Dominating the Pitch

Louis Kimber offered a difficult chance on 17 to Tom Alsop at slip, which burst through the fielder’s hands. Jack Carson nearly hung on to a ball struck with ferocious power over deep midwicket, which took Kimber to 150. Otherwise, Sussex’s bowlers had little success stopping his onslaught. Initially circumspect, Kimber scored 26 off his first 30 balls before a calculated assault on off-spinner Carson, whom he hit for 20 in an over, took him to a 37-ball fifty.

Targeting the short scoreboard-side boundary, Kimber forced Sussex skipper John Simpson to revert to his most experienced seamer. Robinson conceded four runs in his first two overs, but Louis Kimber unleashed in his third over, hitting two sixes and six fours, the fifth of which he cut low past cover to bring up a 62-ball hundred. Even when Robinson went fuller, Kimber made room to smash him through the covers before taking a single off the last ball to keep the strike.

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Relentless Assault and Record-breaking Runs

As the carnage continued, Louis Kimber added his next 50 runs from just 19 deliveries. In the penultimate over before lunch, Fynn Hudson-Prentice was taken for 20, with the session producing 216 runs in 29 overs. Robinson returned after lunch, but Kimber reached his double-hundred by swatting him over long-on for his 17th six. The stand had been worth 239 in just 27 overs – a new Leicestershire eighth-wicket record – when Robinson pinned Ben Cox with an inswinger, Cox having contributed 34.

With Leicestershire needing 29 to win and Hull, who averages 3.25, for company, Kimber had no option but to go for broke. His 21st six off Robinson sailed over long-on, but in the next over, McAndrew had the final word. Louis Kimber’s record-breaking innings will be remembered as one of the greatest in County Championship history.

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