Stokes appointed new England test captain

Durham’s Ben Stokes has been appointed captain of the England Men’s Test team by the England & Wales Cricket Board.

He succeeds Joe Root in becoming the 81^st captain of England. The ECB interim Chair and Chief Executive Officer approved the appointment on Tuesday evening following the recommendation by the Managing Director of England’s Men’s Cricket, Rob Key.

The Durham all-rounder made his test debut in December 2013 and has represented his country on 79 occasions at this level. He was named vice-captain in February 2017 and has also stood in as captain when Root was absent for the birth of his second child in the summer of 2020.

Stokes currently has over 5,000 test runs at an average of 35.89 and has also taken 174 wickets with the ball, leading to him being considered as one of the finest all-rounders in the world.

Stokes said about the appointment.

“I am honoured to be given the chance to lead the England Test team. This is a real privilege, and I am excited about getting started this summer.”

“I want to thank Joe Root 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 m y development as a leader in the dressing room, and he will continue to be a key ally for me in this role.”

England plan to appoint separate coaches for the Test and white-ball sides, which is a change to the recent set up.

With no obvious candidates standing out, Stokes was always the favourite to be given the role in leading England under a new regime.

Players have often spoken about Stokes being a natural leader in the dressing room, and his positive attitude is likely to rub off on players. Stokes has also got a very good tactical Cricket brain, something any captain will need to lead a side that are low in confidence and struggling to get back to winning ways.

Time will tell if the added pressure responsibility of being a captain will affect his playing side of the game, and it is crucial for England that it does not as he is one of the few shining lights in the current setup. That being said, if Stokes can direct some of the qualities he has shown in the past into his captaincy he may well be the person to steer this England team in the right direction.

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