England’s Ashes 2025-26 campaign has taken another intense turn, and this time the focus is firmly on Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum.
After all the criticism and pressure, Ben Stokes has made one thing very clear. The star all-rounder does not see himself leading England’s Test team without McCullum as head coach.
England’s thrilling victory over Australia in the Boxing Day Test brought rare relief for both Stokes and McCullum, but didn’t end the possibility of their sacking. It was their first Test victory in Australia since January 2011 and came after the Ashes had already slipped away in just 11 days Down Under.
Ben Stokes Issues ECB Ultimatum
Stokes has delivered a stern warning to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), stating he will quit as England Test captain if they decide to sack McCullum. The stark ultimatum places the ECB, which is all set to conduct a post-mortem following England’s Ashes tour of Australia.
McCullum and England’s managing director Rob Key have faced constant questions about their futures. Both have stayed calm and made it clear they are ready to continue unless the ECB decides otherwise. The final decision now rests with ECB chief executive Richard Gould and chair Richard Thompson, but Stokes warned against making harsh changes.
What Ben Stokes Said?
Ben Stokes was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo, “Ashes tours in the past haven’t gone well. But if you do what we did four years ago, we’ll just end up back in the same situation. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the time that I’ve worked with Brendon. I can’t see there being someone else who I could take this team [with], from where we are now, to even bigger heights.”
The captain further noted, “We’ve put so much time and effort into getting this team to where it was from when we first started, and now we’re in a situation or position where we know we want to get even more out of the group and get even more out of individuals, and we feel we’ve done a very good job at getting everyone to the position we’re in right now.”
The Stokes-McCullum Partnership and Result
Ben Stokes points to their overall record together as proof of progress despite not winning four of their five-match Test series, two each against Australia and India. Under their leadership, England has won 26 Tests and lost 17.
Still, the skipper does not hide from recent struggles. Stokes admitted that the last year has not met expectations, with England winning only four and losing five of their 10 Tests in 2025.
ECB’s Multi-Million Pound Dilemma
The board now faces a tough decision with significant financial and sporting consequences. McCullum has the ECB contract till the end of the 2027 home Ashes, so ending his all-format contract would be costly to terminate for the board.
And then, there is no obvious, ready-made successor to either Stokes or McCullum. Harry Brook is seen as a future leader but is still developing. Finding a head coach who fits Stokes’ vision is even more difficult. Additionally, removing both would force a complete strategic reset.