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England plan pre-Ashes bonding trip to 'world's adrenaline playground'

Ben Stokes and Brendom McCullum - PA
Ben Stokes and Brendom McCullum - PA

Brendon McCullum’s relaxed approach to coaching the England team will continue next year with a week’s bonding trip to Queenstown in New Zealand.

McCullum is planning a trip to Queenstown - billed by its tourism board as the “world’s adrenaline playground” - before a two-Test series in New Zealand in February. The players will spend around a week relaxing at the South Island resort before moving to Hamilton for a four day warm-up and two Tests in Mount Maunganui and Wellington.

Queenstown boasts superb golf courses, the world’s highest cliff jump, biggest human catapult and the highest bungy jump. The England rugby team hit the headlines 11 years ago when they were reported to have enjoyed “dwarf tossing” in a local bar before the World Cup but McCullum and Ben Stokes believe the players can be trusted to act professionally and see the trip as a good bonding exercise at the start of the 2023 Test year that will culminate in the next Ashes series. It is understood Rob Key, the managing director, is ready to sign off on the trip.

It is likely to be a far cry from the 2010 bonding trip to Bavaria before that winter’s Ashes when Andy Flower, then head coach, put the players through vigorous physical exercises with former SAS instructors.

England have been far more chilled under McCullum; the players trusted to make the right decisions. Instead of arriving at 9am for an 11am start on match days they can now be at the ground half an hour before play if they do not need to warm up, for example if they are batting. Players can net for as long or as short as they like on practice days. McCullum’s speakers blasted out Glory Days by Bruce Springsteen on the team bus to the ground at Edgbaston on the final day to remind the players what is possible and to enjoy every moment; the night before the team had gone to the cinema to see the Elvis movie. The midnight curfew has been lifted for nights out.

Bungy jumping is just one of many adrenaline-fuelled activities Ben Stokes and Co can enjoy in Queenstown - AJ HACKETT
Bungy jumping is just one of many adrenaline-fuelled activities Ben Stokes and Co can enjoy in Queenstown - AJ HACKETT

They have also introduced their own language. Forget nightwatchman and get ready for the nighthawk - which sounds like a superhero but is just a redefinition of the nightwatchman from a tailender sent out to block it and protect the batsman at the end of the day to being told to whack it.

Stuart Broad was padded up as the first nighthawk on day four against India in case either Jonny Bairstow or Joe Root got out in the final half hour. Asked for the Nighthawk’s job description, Stokes replied: “To get 30 off 10, or 0 off 1. He was going out with half an hour left to play to try to literally slog.”

Penalty shoot outs and header and volley contests have replaced the football matches in the warm ups to avoid injury and the emphasis is on enjoyment.

“The first chat with Baz was – yeah we can do it this way – why not. As long as everyone goes out there at 11 and is comfortable in knowing that their preparation is good and perform then why wouldn’t you do it like that,” said Stokes, who was renowned for throwing himself around in training but has been noticeably more laid back this summer.

“Why are we going to warm-up when we’re batting! What is the point of doing a few run throughs to go up and sit in my training kit again – just little things rubbed off on each other,” he said. “It has taken away all the external pressures that playing international sport gives you – there’s enough on individuals and as a team as it is but taking all the other stuff away is why everything is so relaxed and calm and enjoyable at the moment.”

McCullum has said little. He has only done one media interview as head coach since his unveiling and will go home to New Zealand for a short break before the South Africa series. Splitting the coaching roles will keep McCullum and Matthew Mott, the one-day coach, fresh. After three Tests against South Africa in August and September, McCullum will be off until mid-November when the team goes to Pakistan for a month before Christmas.