Former England fast bowler and Ashes winner Steve Harmison has been a strong critic of England’s current Test setup, head coach says Brendan McCallum Ben Stokes should resign after announcing his international retirement during the third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge.Harmison, who played 63 Tests for England and took 226 wickets, said he was never convinced by the aggressive “Bazball” approach introduced by McCullum. While the strategy was initially successful, Harmison believes England’s recent performances, including a disastrous Ashes defeat and inconsistent Test results, suggest this approach is no longer effective.Harmison believes Stokes and McCullum are part of a package deal designed to reshape Test cricket in England, and with Stokes leaving, McCullum should follow.“McCallum has to go with him. That’s it. If we’re going to have that conversation, McCullum has to go with him. I have a lot of respect for Brendan McCullum as a person but this Bazball thing, that’s not Test cricket. That’s amateur,” Harmison told Talksport Cricket.He also questioned how senior batsman Joe Root views England’s recent woes.“I’d be interested to know Joe Root’s thoughts on that, going out and batting. I’d really like to know Joe Root’s thoughts on the last two weeks. But I think with Ben Stokes now gone and Brendan McCullum now having an impact on this team, I don’t believe it’s good for English cricket, especially in the Test arena, with the Ashes series less than 12 months away,” he added.
Ben Stokes explains decision to retire
Stokes shocked the cricketing world by announcing his international retirement on the fourth day of the third Test. In explaining his decision, he acknowledged mental and physical exhaustion as the main reasons.“It may sound selfish but this decision is really the best thing for me,” Stokes told Sky Sports.“I hope this is the best thing for the team moving forward, but I also hope it allows me to continue to love this game that has given me so much.“For me, the trial of the Lord caused me to have negative feelings about my career. I have been working hard since returning home [from Australia] Correcting a mistake, or at least what I thought I was doing. I put a lot of time and effort into this and I just wore myself out,” he added.
