England head coach Brendon McCullum has revealed that Harry Brook could replace Ollie Pope as vice-captain for the upcoming Ashes series. Speaking after a rain-affected T20 against South Africa, McCullum said Brook's leadership qualities make him a strong candidate for the role, though he stressed that a title does not define a leader.
Pope has served as vice-captain since late 2022 and has led the team five times. However, McCullum confirmed Pope will also act as reserve wicketkeeper on tour, a role he performed in New Zealand, which may soften the blow of potentially losing the vice-captaincy.
McCullum also discussed squad selection, aiming for at least seven seamers. He expressed confidence in Mark Wood's fitness after knee surgery, while the main question mark is the spare spinner. Shoaib Bashir remains the number one, but Rehan Ahmed could be selected ahead of Liam Dawson, who has franchise commitments.
Ben Stokes is recovering from a shoulder injury, but McCullum expects him to have a 'booming series'. The head coach defended England's solitary warm-up match, noting they have won the first Test of every away tour under his leadership.
Meanwhile, Saqib Mahmood will miss the Ireland T20s due to minor knee surgery, with Hampshire's Scott Currie called up as a replacement. Jacob Bethell will captain the side in the absence of Harry Brook and Jofra Archer, who are being rested.
