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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Mark Ramprakash

McCullum may see himself in Crawley but struggling in spotlight is tough place to be

Brendon McCullum (left) and Zak Crawley
Brendon McCullum (left) has said Zak Crawley’s ‘skill set is not to be a consistent cricketer’ and has stuck with him for the second Test against South Africa. Photograph: Stu Forster/Getty Images

After the hammering England took against a well-organised and talented South Africa side, it would be easy to jump on the bandwagon and pour criticism on the players and their approach. Personally I commend Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes for challenging convention since taking over as coach and captain of the Test team, which desperately needed a shot in the arm.

They have said from the start that it will be an up‑and‑down ride, that bumps in the road such as the defeat by South Africa last week are part of the process. However, there are clearly some legitimate questions and areas of discussion.

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