England are preparing to take on West Indies in their last ODI series before Test coach Brendon McCullum takes over the white ball side
Brendon McCullum has separated England from the rest of the cricketing world.
That’s the view of TNT Sports’ Jason Holder as McCullum prepares to take charge of England’s white ball set-up in January. The New Zealander has revolutionised England’s Test team, even if results haven’t always been positive.
The ‘Bazball’ philosophy has brought its fair share of critics, but it’s clear to see the enjoyment from players working under McCullum and Test captain Ben Stokes. And Holder expects England’s ethos to carry over when McCullum takes the reins in limited overs cricket.
“Brendon McCullum has done an outstanding job,” Holder said. “The beautiful thing about his tenure is the buy-in he’s had from the players.
“That’s what’s made their cricket so entertaining and so exciting.
“You have too many limiting factors within certain teams and within certain cultures and you need a limitless environment where guys can express themselves freely and know they’ll be backed and picked for the next game.
“If you give guys that freedom and that confidence, the sky’s the limit. Once you pigeonhole a guy and you restrict them, that survival instinct comes in. They wonder whether to express themselves or look for a score.
“That’s where England are separating themselves from the rest of the world. They’ve been able to give guys the opportunity and players have been able to express themselves and know they’ll be backed.”
England travel to the Caribbean for three ODIs and five T20Is in their final white-ball series before McCullum takes over. Just days after a Test series defeat in Pakistan where the batters struggled, a fresh-looking England side takes to the field in Antigua tomorrow.
There are four potential debutants in the travelling squad, including Michael Pepper and John Turner, while Liam Livingstone captains in the absence of the injured Jos Buttler.
Jofra Archer is also in the travelling squad having featured against Australia last month and Holder expects England’s players to come out swinging.
“These series are always interesting to watch because you see players knuckling down and trying to grab every single opportunity,” Holder added.
“You never know how many opportunities you will get in these kind of situations, so you really want to make it count.
“It’s a great chance for Jofra to get some cricket under his belt. He can gradually build up his workload and get back into the swing of international cricket.”
Tune in to England’s tour of the West Indies, starting with the first ODI live on TNT Sports 1 from 5.30pm on 31st October. Sign up to TNT Sports and discovery+ here
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