Brendon McCullum says England’s white-ball domination of the West Indies provided a clear blueprint of the brand of cricket Harry Brook wants to define his captaincy.
Brook made it six wins from six as England’s white-ball captain as a 37-run victory in Southampton sealed a second series sweep over the West Indies.
Having whitewashed the tourists 3-0 in the ODIs, Brook’s men did it again in the T20 leg to cap a triumphant start for the new limited-overs skipper.
“It’s been a really good two weeks,” England head coach McCullum told Sky Sports.
“Any time you go through a period of transition and change, you have aspirations and hopes on what you can achieve. Sometimes, they happen quick and sometimes they take a long time to embed.
“But in the last couple of weeks, we have seen a clear blueprint of how Harry Brook wants this cricket team to run and his style of captaincy. That’s a real positive.”
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Highlights from the third T20 match between England and West Indies
McCullum: I’ve let Brook find his way
Asked whether a hands-on approach was needed to assist Brook’s start to life as England captain, McCullum responded: “I have let him find his way.
“He doesn’t like to make things complicated. He likes to keep it simple. That’s a compliment, it’s a great skill.
“His calmness, his poise, his ability to keep it simple rubs off on other guys. He’s also captained a lot of sides growing up, so he’s got great friendships with guys who understand how he works.
“We haven’t conquered the world, but we have made a nice start over the last couple of weeks. It’s good positive signs.”
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Watch Player of the Series Jos Buttler’s stunning 96 against the West Indies in the first T20I
Brook inherited an England white-ball side on its knees following a disastrous Champions Trophy that led to Jos Buttler’s resignation as skipper in March.
But after two successful series, fortunes have been transformed on the field and in the dressing room, with Buttler playing a crucial role in helping his successors seamless adaptation to the role.
“It’s a real positive for Brook and the team to have Jos [Buttler] in the ranks and contributing the way he has,” McCullum added.
“He’s been outstanding and not just on the pitch but also in the dressing room and around the group.
“It reminds me a lot of Joe Root when it came to Ben Stokes’ Test captaincy. It’s a good mark of someone’s characteristics.”
England vs West Indies white-ball fixtures
All times UK and Ireland; all games live on Sky Sports
One-day international series (May-June)
- First ODI, Edgbaston: England won by 238 runs
- Second ODI, Cardiff: England won by three wickets
- Third ODI, The Oval: England won by seven wickets
T20 international series (June)
- First T20I, Chester-le-Street: England won by 21 runs
- Second T20I, Bristol: England won by four wickets
- Third T20I, Southampton: England won by 37 runs
Watch the third T20 international between England and West Indies, live on Sky Sports Cricket from 6pm on Tuesday (first ball, 6.30pm). Stream cricket with NOW
