Coach Brendon McCullum makes every player feel 10ft tall: Ben Stokes

With the first Test between England and New Zealand at Lord's just a few hours away, skipper Ben Stokes has lauded new coach Brendon McCullum for his style and approach as a coach. 

Speaking about the former New Zealand captain, Stokes said that he makes every player feel important and has already started doing the right things in the dressing room.

According to news18, Stokes said, "He has pretty much done everything like he explained, the way he coaches. He hasn't thrown one ball yet, he has lived up to that, but he has been good. He is all about making everyone feel, in his words, '10 feet tall',"

"I think it is pretty obvious in the way he will speak in the dressing room because of the way he played cricket and when he was in charge of New Zealand. It's been a good few days working with him,"

With no international knowledge to fall back on, McCullum will need to extract every ounce of experience he has had with franchises like Kolkata Knight Riders, Lahore Qalandars, and Trinbago Knight Riders.

Speaking about leading the Test side, Stokes explained that he is looking to create a new culture and start afresh rather than resetting things, given the understanding they have within the squad.

"I just want everyone to feel free under my captaincy. Obviously, there has been talk around the word 'reset', which is something I don't particularly like. I just see this as a complete and utter blank canvas for this test team going forward,"

"We have got so much experience in that dressing room, with myself, Joe Root, Broady, Jimmy Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, and at the other end, we've younger lads with inexperience. But this is our time. We are going to dictate how things go going forward. There is nothing on this blank canvas. Everyone is starting fresh now, whether you are Matt Potts or Stuart Broad or Jimmy Anderson," said the New Zealand-born player.

Stokes stated that the weight of expectations as England skipper wouldn't hinder his performance.

"It is a new responsibility, but I will just be going out there, trying to do the same thing as I have in my games that I have played already, which is to try and win games for England. I just have a bit more to think about now. I am excited, but I don't see this as any hindrance to what I bring to the team, as a few people have suggested I might. It is going to be a very proud moment, but it is what it is," concluded the World Cup winner.

The second and third Tests of the 3-match series will be played at Trent Bridge and Headingley, respectively.