England head coach Brendon McCullum reckons England men’s Test captain Ben Stokes is training his arse off to be fit in time for the 2025-26 Ashes series in Australia. The head coach reaffirmed that Ben Stokes was quite important for England to be competitive down under, saying the all-rounder won’t leave any stone unturned to be in that position.
For the record, Ben Stokes was ruled out of the fifth Test against India in the summer due to a grade three muscle tear in his right shoulder. He’s not expected to play any competitive games until, the Ashes, missing the entire home domestic season. The 2025-26 Ashes series begins on November 21st at the Perth Stadium.
Brendon McCullum updates on Ben Stokes’ recovery progress
Speaking to ESPN Cricinfo, Brendon McCullum said: “Stokesy will be training his arse off as he always does, and making sure he gets as fit as what he possibly can.”
McCullum further added: “The last series we saw from Stokesy is probably the best series he’s had as captain, so that’s a good sign. We know that for us to be competitive down in Australia, a fit, firing and motivated Ben Stokes is going to give us every chance.”
Brendon McCullum also confirmed that pacer Mark Wood, who missed the India series entirely, was progressing well. Unlike Stokes, Wood is expected to play for Durham in the County Championship later this month.
Brendon McCullum’s views on Jofra Archer’s management ahead of Ashes
Another important player for the Ashes which Brendon McCullum labelled as the biggest series of their lives would be Jofra Archer. The quick Archer has recovered from multiple bouts of injuries over the past few years and all of it seemed to be worth it when he ran through South Africa with a four-wicket spell in Southampton on Sunday.
Brendon McCullum said: “That was an unbelievable spell. It was box-office bowling. It’s not just his pace, but his skill, his ability to shift it both ways and to test batters with the steep bounce he gets. He’s a proper cricketer, hence why we’ve taken our time with him to make sure that we give him every chance to be in the biggest series of all of our lives.”
Brendon McCullum further added: “It’s always a delicate balance. Sometimes you need to keep bowling and you need to keep ticking over. I think a lot of injuries happen when you almost down the tools completely, not that I really understand how that works. He’s going to be a huge player when we get to Australia, as a number of others are. But I don’t think we’ll wrap him up in cotton wool per se. We’ll just keep working with him on how he’s going and work out what’s best for him.”
It remains to be seen what bowling combination England goes along with it in Ashes 2025-26. Ben Stokes is indeed a necessity in the side as McCullum rightly mentioned. His presence in the side will be vital for England if they want to be competitive against Australia in Australia. The signs of recovery is good and he is in great form after having a stellar series against India before getting injured. We shall wait and see how Stokes goes.
Jofra Archer too needs to be managed well and that is what McCullum alluded to as well. Yes, he needs to play games but one cannot over bowl him ahead of Ashes. So, they are trying to strike the right balance and Mark Wood is on a good recovery trail from injury. Things looking promising but still about 2 months remain for the Ashes to start. So, we have to wait and see how things pan out as we get closer to the series.
Let’s see how things go as Ashes 2025-26 kicks off on 21st November in the West in Perth at Optus Stadium. It will be a huge series for everyone involved.
Also Read: Ashes 2025-26: Jofra Archer Eyeing An Injury-Free Comeback