Brook's time as England Test captain will come - McCullum

England's white-ball head coach Brendon McCullum has thrown his weight behind the team's ODI and T20I skipper Harry Brook, stating that his time as the Test captain will come. Until the recent Test series against New Zealand where McCullum was still England's red-ball head coach and Ben Stokes was captain, Brook was on vice-captaincy duties. Yet, when Stokes was suspended for the second Test following an internal investigation for a breach of curfew, the leadership role was handed to Joe Root.

In the aftermath of that series loss and Stokes's decision to retire, ECB saw it fit to give Root a second stint at the helm instead of looking towards Brook.

But Stokes had earlier offered a ringing endorsement for Brook to be Test captain, and McCullum shared his views on the 27-year-old.

"Everyone knows the affection that I have for Harry," McCullum told Sky Sports. "He's a wonderful player and he's doing a fine job as white-ball leader. I think his time will come in the Test job.

"I'm looking forward to working with him and hopefully growing and developing him into the leader that he can become. At some stage in the future, he will have a very important role in that capacity. But for now, Joe will do an amazing job," McCullum opined.

While McCullum continues as England's ODI and T20I coach, ECB has brought in Stephen Fleming as his successor in Tests after a four-year stint that began and ended in a home series against New Zealand. McCullum offered glowing praise for his fellow New Zealander, who will soon fit into the spot left vacant by him.

"I had a great time in my four years but now it's going in a different direction, I think Flem will be excellent," McCullum said. "He's a little bit like me, but better – that's how I would sum him up. He'll do a great job, and the ECB have done incredibly well to get someone like him to commit to English cricket for the period that he has. It's an outstanding achievement."

McCullum and Fleming also share a close camaraderie, and the former reckoned they will look forward to setting England cricket up for success in all three formats of the game.

"We talk pretty much every day, we're close mates. We've done a lot together and he's one of those guys who I trust completely. We both just want what's best for English cricket.

"We want to set this up so that English cricket can be successful across all three formats of the game. That is going to take some give and take at times, we both understand that, but we will work very closely together and give everyone the best opportunity to get the success that we all want to see," McCullum added.

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