Ben Stokes addresses Brendon McCullum’s sacking and discusses his role in the decision-making around the Pakistan-born New Zealand tour. According to reporting, Stokes retired last month ahead of the third and final Test against New Zealand, with his retirement announced following a separate nightclub incident involving teammate Gus Atkinson. In the interviews covered by multiple outlets, Stokes provides behind-the-scenes details about how events unfolded and makes a “my fault” admission relating to McCullum’s shock exit. The accounts describe McCullum’s departure as sudden and connected to the broader internal fallout from the nightclub controversy. Stokes’ remarks center on taking responsibility for elements of the situation while explaining the context in which the head-coach change occurred. The reports do not describe any change in official leadership details beyond acknowledging McCullum’s sacking and linking the timeline to Stokes’ retirement announcement. Overall, the coverage focuses on Stokes’ personal comments and the circumstances that frame McCullum’s dismissal and Stokes’ retirement from Test cricket at that stage of the series.