Morgan offers his verdict on Stokes and McCullum's England revolution

27 January 2023 , 12:23

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Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum have revolutionised England's approach to Test cricket (Image: Philip Brown/Popperfoto/Popperfoto via Getty Images)

During his seven-and-a-half years as England white-ball captain, Eoin Morgan oversaw a stunning transformation as he led them to glory in the 2019 50-over World Cup and the final of the 2016 T20 World Cup.

Now that he is retired from international cricket, having decided to step away five months before England won last year's T20 World Cup, Morgan is watching on with interest as Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum have sparked a similar revolution in Test cricket.

Since taking charge of a side that had won just one of their last 17 Tests, Stokes and McCullum have encouraged a more positive and aggressive approach that has seen them win nine in ten against New Zealand, India, South Africa and Pakistan.

And Morgan has been hugely impressed with Stokes and McCullum for encouraging England to take the game on, play to their strengths and impose themselves on the opposition.

"What England have proved this year [2022] is that you can play Test cricket in that [T20] fashion," Morgan told ESPNcricinfo. "It's made for unbelievable entertainment.

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"It's created a new level of interest and proved that you don't have to play Test cricket one way, particularly as a batter, which for, I suppose the 150 years, has always been one way. They are proving that it's possible to play like this anywhere.

"I like it because for a long time, particularly with English batters, our defence has been missing. I like that we are taking the game on.

Former England white-ball captain Eoin Morgan has been hugely impressed with Stokes and McCullum (Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

"I feel as if Ben and Brendon sit back and watch the players play and think that they're unbelievably talented, so why don't we see more of this in the game? And let's use our strengths to impose ourselves on the game instead of going to somebody else's strengths because they said that's how you play Test cricket.

"It's using the talent they have to the best of everybody's ability. It looks like so much fun.

"And when you look at some of them - Jonny Bairstow's innings, Joe Root's innings - the character really comes out in the innings, as opposed to it just being a normal Test 50 or 100 or 150. You get a sense of what the character in the change room is like."

Matthew Cooper