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England coach Brendon McCullum wants Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad to be in his Ashes squad next summer; stating the pair have been integral to the new look Test side since McCullum and captain Ben Stokes took over

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Anderson, 40, and Broad, 36, were part of the England squad that suffered a 4-0 defeat in Australia in the last Ashes, and both were then omitted from the three-Test series in West Indies where England lost 1-0.

Andrew Strauss, interim managing director for England men’s cricket at the time, said that they were dropped to “look at some exciting new bowling potential and give some added responsibility to other players who have featured previously”.
Stuart Broad believes that the mindset that Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes have brought in is working for England.

James Anderson and Stuart Broad will be in Brendon McCullum’s squad to take on Australia in the Ashes next summer. However, mired in a run of one win in 17 Tests, England named Ben Stokes to replace Joe Root as captain in April and brought in McCullum as coach in May.

Broad and Anderson returned to the squad under the new leadership, helping the team win six of their seven Tests this summer.

“Yeah, they’ll be here,” McCullum told reporters when asked if they would be in his Ashes squad.

“They’re both smiling. How good’s that? Those guys are phenomenal cricketers. They could finish any time they wanted and they’d still be considered greats of the game.

James Anderson takes his 100th wicket against South Africa as Kagiso Rabada departs.

“What they’re doing is continuing to build on the legacy they’re going to leave for the next generation – the time they’re giving other people in the dressing-room is phenomenal.

“Stuff you don’t see behind the scenes. The time, the effort and the confidence they’re giving the other guys is quite remarkable, really.”

McCullum also heaped praise on captain Stokes.

“His own game is phenomenal, his leadership qualities are amazing and he runs through brick walls for the side, as we’ve seen with some of his bowling spells,” McCullum said.

“I thought he’d be good as a leader, but I didn’t realise he’d be quite as good as he is.”

Key: Stokes and McCullum ‘have that magic’

Rob Key has highlighted the “unbelievable job” that Stokes and McCullum have done in turning around the fortunes of England’s Test team this summer, saying the pair have “that bit of magic”.

England Cricket managing director Rob Key describes how impressed he has been with Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum since taking his role in April.

Speaking after England’s nine-wicket, series-clinching victory at The Oval, Key admitted even he has been amazed at the turnaround.

“When I took this job on, I thought anything that happens this year is a bonus,” the managing director for England men’s cricket said. “We just wanted to try and win a couple of games and see what happened from there.

“What Stokes and McCullum and those players have done – and all of the support staff and coaches who have got on board with it – has been an unbelievable job.

“My view was always that we had to change the mentality of our cricket. I then went to try and find people who could do that, and they have done it better than I thought anyone could to be honest.”