Former England fast bowler and Ashes winner Steve Harmison has slammed the current Test set-up in England, saying the head coach Brendon McCullum is set to step down after Ben Stokes announced his international retirement during the third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge.Harmison, who played 63 Tests and took 226 wickets for England, said he was never convinced by the aggressive “Bazball” approach introduced by McCullum. While the strategy initially brought success, Harmison believes England’s recent performances, including a heavy Ashes defeat and inconsistent Test results, show the approach is no longer working.Harmison argued that Stokes and McCullum were a package deal that was set to reshape English Test cricket, and with Stokes stepping aside, McCullum should follow suit.“McCullum has to go with him. And that’s it. If we’re going to go through that conversation, McCullum has to go with him. I have the utmost respect for Brendon McCullum as a person, but this Bazball stuff, it’s not Test cricket. It’s amateur,” Harmison told Talksport Cricket.He also asked how senior batsman Joe Root views England’s recent struggles.“I’d like to know what Joe Root thinks about this, going into bat. I’d really like to know what Joe Root thinks about this whole period of the last two weeks. But I think with Ben Stokes going now, Brendon McCullum’s impact on this team now, I’m not convinced it’s great for England cricket, especially in the Test arena, with the Ashes series less than 12 months away,” he added.
Ben Stokes explains his decision to retire
Stokes shocked the cricketing world by announcing his international retirement during the fourth day of the third Test. Explaining his decision, he admitted that mental and physical exhaustion played a big role.“It might sound quite selfish, but this decision is the best thing for me at the moment,” Stokes told Sky Sports.“I hope it’s the best thing for the team going forward, but I also hope it’s what allows me to continue to love this game that has given me so much.“The Lord’s test for me was something that brought back negative feelings about where I was in my career. I’ve worked so hard since coming home [from Australia] to make things right, or so I thought I was doing. “I put so much time and effort into doing this, and I just burned myself out,” he added.
