'Positive and smart cricket can live together' - Brendon McCullum hints at refined approach to Test cricket ahead of England vs New Zealand

England head coach Brendon McCullum has hinted at an enhanced approach to their positive and aggressive style of playing Test cricket ahead of the home summer, starting with a three-match series against New Zealand. 

There have been a ton of reservations surrounding the way England have approached Test cricket, particularly after their disappointing 4-1 Ashes defeat at the hands of Australia. 

Ahead of a crucial home summer, McCullum has called for brave yet smart cricket, allowing the England side to adjust to the situation in front of them and play accordingly. The Kiwi coach aims to strike a balance and has promised that with this new approach to Test cricket, there is still plenty to achieve in the coming years. 

"You will see a lot of the stuff you've seen already, but with a bit of refinement. Positive and smart cricket can live together. We will try to step towards that. We will be brave when we need to be and smart when we need to be. We'll be totally committed and try to identify moments where games can be won or lost. If we can do that successfully we'll give ourselves a great chance. I'd like to see us become a team not only feared for our knockout punch but our jab too. If we can box smart we can achieve success and we're all fiercely driven to do that,” Brendon McCullum said in an interview with the ECB.

"There's some finessing and up-skilling to do, and maybe a firmer grip on things rather than expecting guys to work it out for themselves. We've had some good and bad times but I firmly believe the best years are still ahead of us and I'm delighted to still be at the helm for that,” McCullum added. 

Brendon McCullum opens up on his relationship with Ben Stokes

There have been a lot of talks surrounding the working relationship between McCullum and England’s Test captain Ben Stokes after their Ashes debacle. The former New Zealand wicketkeeper, however, has clarified that despite their few differences, the duo are well aligned to take English cricket forward and will continue to support one another for the betterment of the team. 

"Stokesey and I have always got on well. We challenge each other which is what you want and there will always be differences of opinion. That's healthy. The best leaders bounce off each other, but we're crystal clear on the direction we want this team to take and you'll continue to see us work together. We're absolutely fine and we've got each other's backs. There have been no 'clear the air' talks because there's no air to clear. We were all disappointed about the winter but all the talks have been about how to move forward and put that right,” McCullum said. 

England faced a lot of scrutiny for their antics, both on and off the field, following the Ashes, making their home Test series against New Zealand and Pakistan incredibly important to not only regain the support of their fans but also to kickstart a new era. The three-match series against the Black Caps begins on June 4 at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground. 

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