McCullum said Pietersen was “shocked” when he first called him about “helping us challenge for a World Cup”. The pair had conversations to reach an agreement and McCullum said Pietersen was “unbelievably enthusiastic” about the prospect. “The energy he’s brought to the group already has been immense and you know I feel very privileged for
England’s Test opener does not necessarily have to be a specialist at the top of the order, according to Marcus Trescothick. England have a decision to make over how to accommodate Jacob Bethell when he returns from a knee injury for the tour of South Africa in December. Emilio Gay, in his first summer as
Available for over a year Simon Mann is joined by Jonathan Agnew, Michael Vaughan, Sir Alastair Cook, Ramiz Raja, Phil Tufnell and Andy Zaltzman to review a dramatic 3rd Test against Pakistan, look back on the men’s red ball summer as a whole and look ahead to the Tests in the winter. We also get
Root first regained the captaincy for the second Test against New Zealand in June after Stokes – who had been backed to remain in post alongside McCullum after last winter’s Ashes defeat by Australia – was left out after breaking a team curfew. After Stokes retired following the series defeat by New Zealand a Test
It is 2026 and Joe Root is again England Test captain and Kevin Pietersen is back in the fold. For those two things to be the new normal says plenty about the upheaval in one of the most turbulent summers in English cricket’s recent history. The debate as to whether there should have been alterations
Hesson previously coached New Zealand between 2012 and 2018 and said he was approached by the England and Wales Cricket Board over replacing Brendon McCullum. England sacked McCullum as their Test coach in July and subsequently named another Kiwi in Stephen Fleming as his successor. “I was contacted by my agent to say there had
