Last Updated on 45 seconds ago by Charbel Coorey
Nasser Hussain has criticised Brendon McCullum and Rob Key on how they handled the Ben Stokes saga in the aftermath of the first Test at Lord’s. Following England’s heavy 253-run loss to New Zealand at The Oval – which levelled the series at 1-1 – Hussain mentioned that the lack of clarity could have created a situation of unease in the England camp.
After Lord’s and in the lead up to The Oval Test, Key nor McCullum gave a direct answer on Stokes’ future. Just before the second Test, McCullum spoke at length of Stokes’ mental wellbeing, which didn’t sit too well with Hussain.
“I gave him [McCullum] that everything was okay with the regulator, and you could use that in a sentence” Hussain said on Sky Sports. “When Rob Key and Brendon McCullum were asked in the press, “Is he [Stokes] still your England captain? Do you still see him being England captain in the future? I’m not in charge, but I would have delayed it a little bit so that we’re all… myself, Key, McCullum, we’re all off the same hymn sheet, and made the decision that Ben Stokes is either our captain or he’s not our captain.
“It’s not a difficult decision to make. He’s either our captain or he’s not. Have a chat, sit round, you’ve got to make that decision eventually anyway.”
Nasser Hussain calls for England to make best use out of Ben Stokes, the captain
Stokes and Gus Atkinson were left out of England’s squad for the second Test. The task of sealing the series became even more difficult with Ollie Robinson (knee) and Jamie Smith (paternity leave) also unavailable. New Zealand dominated the match, winning by 253 runs, and leaving England requiring a big response at Trent Bridge.
“If you’ve decided that as long as everything comes out fine from the Regulator, he’s our England captain… they are the exact words I’d use,” Hussain continued. “So press conference here, asked the question, ‘Will Stokes be captain in the future?’ It’s a very easy answer to give. If everything comes out fine from the Regulator and there’s nothing we don’t know about, Ben Stokes is my England cricket captain.”
The former England captain then spoke of Stokes’ contribution to the team as a player and leader. Hussain has praised Stokes on numerous occasions in the past, and calls on England to make best use of the captain while he still has the hunger.
“And that just sends a message to Ben more than any kind of mental health issue and WhatsApp and phone call.. that just sends a crystal clear message, and it sends a message to the dressing room… this lad has messed up, leaders mess up,” Hussain said.
“But just remember what he’s done in the last four years. Just remember the spells he’s bowled in the Ashes, when his arm’s falling off and his leg’s falling off. Just remember the innings he’s played, just remember the leadership he showed in Pakistan in the gloom when they were celebrating that last wicket when the sun was set.
“He’s done some spectacular things as a player and as a captain. And because he messed up once, are we going to throw him under the bus? I certainly wouldn’t be. I’m not saying they did, but I’d have just liked them to say ‘if everything’s okay with the Regulator, he’s still our leader'”.
England remain third-from-bottom in the 2025-27 World Test Championship standings. They have lost seven from 12 Tests in this cycle and need a response at Trent Bridge. All signs are pointing towards a return for Stokes as captain, while Jamie Smith, Ollie Robinson and Gus Atkinson are set to feature too.
“At this stage, that’s what we’re planning on [Stokes captaining at Trent Bridge],” McCullum said on Sky Sports. “We are anticipating that Ben will be back and captaining.
