New Zealand v England: Coach Brendon McCullum 'in awe' of his players

Brendon McCullum was capped 432 times by New Zealand, including 101 Tests

Coach Brendon McCullum says helium is "in awe of however good" the players successful his England squad tin be.

On Wednesday successful a warm-up against a New Zealand XI, batter Harry Brook deed 5 sixes successful a azygous over.

"The shots and immoderate of the skills they person is beauteous insane," said erstwhile New Zealand skipper McCullum.

"From a coaching constituent of view, it's beauteous breathtaking to ticker the endowment immoderate of these guys person got.

"We beryllium backmost successful awe astatine times of however bully these guys tin be. Hopefully we're capable to spot them proceed to develop."

• England successful New Zealand 2023

England's tally of success, built connected a doctrine of playing with state and aggression, has included immoderate singular performances.

In June, they chased 299 successful lone 50 overs to bushed New Zealand successful the 2nd Test astatine Trent Bridge and followed up by pursuing 378 - an England grounds - to decision India astatine Edgbaston.

In December, they piled up 506-4 connected the archetypal time of the archetypal Test against Pakistan, which the bowlers backed up by forcing an all-time large triumph connected a level pitch. It acceptable England connected the mode to a 3-0 bid victory, the archetypal clip a visiting squad has secured a cleanable expanse successful Pakistan.

Since McCullum and skipper Ben Stokes took implicit successful May past year, England person achieved a scoring complaint of 4.77 runs per over, importantly faster than the remainder of the world, portion lone Australia are taking wickets astatine a swifter and cheaper rate.

McCullum had praise for Stokes, the all-rounder whose inspirational enactment is adding to a database of achievements that includes match-winning performances successful England's 2019 50-over World Cup and 2022 T20 World Cup last triumphs, and his innings successful the 2019 Headingley Ashes Test victory, 1 of the top ever played by an Englishman.

"With the skipper successful charge, I'm not definite what's imaginable due to the fact that he's a feline who writes his ain scripts and achieves immoderate beauteous peculiar things," said McCullum.

"I cognize the plans helium has for this squad are rather lofty. He'll effort to bash what helium tin to resistance the boys on for the ride."

McCullum and Stokes took complaint aft a tally erstwhile England had won lone 1 Test successful 17, a play mostly played nether restrictions related to the Covid pandemic.

The mediocre signifier saw skipper Joe Root, manager Chris Silverwood and manager of cricket Ashley Giles each replaced, the second by Rob Key.

McCullum acknowledged the enactment done by the erstwhile authorities to "hold the fort together".

"When you're playing Test cricket and things aren't going to program and you propulsion successful the restrictions that everyone astir the satellite experienced, it's incredibly demanding," helium said.

"Timing is everything successful beingness and taking implicit erstwhile we did, the guys were acceptable for that consciousness of freedom. Everything astir the satellite opened up and I conjecture we admit the accidental we person got. I'm fortunate it came on erstwhile it did."

England volition vessel connected the 2nd and last time of their warm-up against the New Zealand XI connected Thursday aft being dismissed for 465 connected time 1 successful Hamilton.

The archetypal Test against New Zealand begins connected 16 February successful Mount Maunganui, with the bid concluding successful Wellington.

England past play 1 Test against Ireland successful June earlier they statesman their bid to triumph backmost the Ashes from Australia.

"I don't deliberation we person to bash excessively overmuch different," said McCullum. "Guys are enjoying their cricket. They person got smiles connected their faces. They are laughing and joking.

"When they enactment their heads down and commencement working, they enactment successful the yards. That's each you tin inquire for. Then it's a substance of successful unit situations, being brave capable to let that talent, hard enactment and enjoyment origin to travel out. If you bash that, you don't cognize wherever the ceiling is.

"There volition beryllium pugnacious times, nary doubt, and it's intriguing however we grip those. I'm definite we'll grip them with the aforesaid benignant of calm we've been capable to grip the occurrence we've had."

McCullum besides confirmed helium volition beryllium successful attendance astatine the Te Rapa racecourse successful Hamilton connected Saturday to spot the equine helium part-owns, Defibrillate, effort to triumph its 2nd successive Group One race.

"I've got the 2nd favourite, truthful I'll beryllium there," helium said. "It mightiness beryllium the favourite aft the boys get connected it."

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