India, Aug. 5 -- Ben Stokes has taken the blame for Brendon McCullum's sudden dismissal as head coach of the England Test side. Speaking on the For The Love of Cricket podcast, hosted by his England fellows Stuart Broad and Jos Buttler, the former captain admitted his sudden exit from the international arena had directly led to McCullum losing his job.

"If I hadn't made the decision that I made four weeks ago, Baz would still be coach," Stokes admitted openly on the podcast. "So it's my fault."

It was the end of an era for England cricket when Ben Stokes retired abruptly last month, midway through the final Test match against New Zealand. That arrived hot on the heels of a drunk disciplinary incident at a nightclub alongside teammate Gu...