Ben Stokes is all set to replace Joe Root as England’s new captain in the longest format of the game. Root has experienced some torrid times recenetly, including the series defeat to Ashes and a series loss to West Indies as well, which had put Root’s position under the scanner. The England Cricket Board (ECB) has thus decided to hand over the reins to Stokes who will lead the Three Lions in the Test cricket. On Thursday, ECB made the news official with a tweet via their social media handle.
In a statement announcing the same, managing director of England men’s cricket Rob Key said, “I am delighted that he has accepted, and he is ready for the added responsibility and the honor. He thoroughly deserves the opportunity. I had no hesitation in offering the role of test captain to Ben. He epitomises the mentality and approach we want to take this team forward into the next era of red-ball cricket.”
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Earlier this month, Joe Root stepped down as England’s Test skipper as they have managed to win just one of their previous 17 tests, a run which included a 4-0 Ashes thrashing in Australia and a 1-0 series defeat in West Indies.
Congratulations to our new Men's Test captain, @benstokes38! 🏴🏏
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) April 28, 2022
The 30-year-old Ben Stokes, who has scored more than 5,000 runs and taken 174 scalps in his 79 tests for England, called it an “honor” to lead the test side.
Talking about the captaincy, Ben Stokes said, “This is a real privilege, and I’m excited about getting started this summer. I want to thank Joe for everything he has done for English cricket and for always being a great ambassador for the sport all across the world. He has been a massive part of my development as a leader in the dressing room, and he will continue to be a key ally for me in this role.”
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Stokes, who was Root’s deputy, took an indefinite break from cricket last year to focus on his mental health while also recovering from a second operation on a broken finger before he returned to the squad for the Ashes series. England’s next Test assignment is a two-match home series against New Zealand in June.
