After completing a year as the England men's team managing director, Rob Key revealed that the biggest positive since taking over has been the Test team playing with a lot of clarity, which in turn has made selection easier. In an interview with The Times, Key praised the team's positive and aggressive brand of Test cricket, which has led to 10 wins in 12 games against New Zealand, India, South Africa, and Pakistan.
Key appointed Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum as captain and coach of the Test side, and they have brought a tactical element to the game, making the selection process easier. Key expressed his luck in having Stokes and McCullum form a good pair to manage the Test team, stating that he deliberately wanted those two positions aligned.
"For the coach, I wanted someone who thought like me but had credibility. I wanted someone who was going to grab hold of that team, not just with his philosophy but so that (Stuart) Broad, (James) Anderson, Stokes, or whoever respected him for what he had done," said Key.
He also expressed his admiration for Stokes, stating that he had heard a few whispers coming out of the dressing room about how brilliantly he had done the job in that Covid ODI series against Pakistan. "I loved the way they played that series," said Key.
The team's success has come from a clear way of playing that makes selection easier, according to Key. "It's not about scoring at six an over all the time, but players need to have the ability to both soak up pressure and put bowlers under pressure as well," he said.
Key emphasized that the team's aggressive playing style takes as much courage as anything. "In England, we often think showing fight is getting stuck in, over my dead body stuff. But I think risking failure by playing aggressively, and then keep on doing it, takes as much courage as anything," he said.
Overall, Key expressed his satisfaction with the team's progress under his leadership. "I didn't know what was going to happen. It wasn't really about winning or losing but getting players to maximize their potential. We've now got a clear way of playing, which makes selection easier, too," he said.