Why the coach could not change Stokes’ thinking, McCullum gave a big statement about the former captain, laughter explained everything

New Delhi. In the middle of the third test against New Zealand, Ben Stokes surprised everyone by talking about retirement. England head coach Brendon McCullum said that he tried to convince Ben Stokes to change his decision to retire from international cricket, but the captain had made up his mind by then.

England lost the third and final Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge by 160 runs, losing the series 1–2. But Stokes surprised everyone by announcing his retirement on the fourth day of the match. “I tried to explain it to him,” McCullum said. “When he told me that he was going to retire, first I tried to convince him (laughs) and… then it became clear that he had taken his decision and he was satisfied with his decision.

Coach could not change Stokes’ thinking

McCullum told Sky Sports. “There was just a bit of sadness after that because we have been together for four years and it has been a wonderful journey. I am very proud to have been able to work so closely with Stokes and consider him a friend, a good friend. McCullum praised Stokes’ contribution as captain and player and called him a “people’s leader”. “He is a people’s leader, people follow him everywhere, whether it is on the field, in the dressing room or in the team hotel, people follow him. Do it because he is a very lively and big personality and has confidence in his ideas and methods.

Stokes deserves a grand farewell

In cricket where there are a lot of uncertainties, he brings a stability and is completely confident in every situation. I think that gives a lot of comfort to the people around him,” he said. “We will miss Ben very much, his presence, his leadership and his performances and it is difficult to replace a player like that.” McCullum said that Stokes should get a wonderful farewell from the fans. “I said very strongly in my opinion that we should make it public quickly because he has been a cricketer who has taken the game to other parts of the society and his popularity is also very high.

Ben Stokes was the leader of the common people

Ben Stokes was a leader in his own way whom we all liked. Now some work will have to be done there but that is the nature of things. No one can play forever, no one can be captain forever. “We want to celebrate Stokes’s time as captain and then think about the future with time.” McCullum said that now he is excited to take English cricket forward with a new leader. “My enthusiasm and commitment to English cricket has never diminished. I am very hopeful that this team can move forward,” he said. “We have our own identity but we want to strengthen it so that we can be the team we want to be and represent the people of this country,