After a string of defeats, new Test captain Ben Stokes took over for Joe Root earlier this month. Stokes is an all-rounder who can also bat and bowl.
This is what people were saying about the 30-year-old who worked as a deputy for Joe Root. He was the overwhelming favourite to lead a team that had lost all of its last 17 games.
Stokes, whose career is full of incredible performances with both bat and ball, has been a loyal lieutenant to Root. In a short statement, he praised his friend and predecessor, Root, and called him “a great person.”
“I’m very happy to be able to lead the England Test team,” said the man. This is a real honour, and I can’t wait to start this summer.
: “I want to thank Joe for everything he has done for English cricket and for always being a good representative for the sport around the world.” As a leader in the dressing room, he has played a huge role in my growth as a person. He will still be an important part of my team.
When the team lost 1-0 in the Caribbean, Root stepped down as head coach after five years in charge. It came after the team lost 4-0 in Australia.
Managing Director Rob Key said: “I had no hesitation in giving the Test captaincy to Ben. He’s a great player. ” He is the kind of person and player we want to take this team into the next phase of red-ball cricket.
“I am so happy that he has agreed, and he is ready for the extra responsibility and the honour.” He’s a good candidate for the job.
Stokes already has a lot on his plate as an all-rounder who bowls fast, but he only took a break from cricket for his mental health last year.
More than 5,000 Test runs and 174 wickets have been bowled by him in 79 matches. He is also one of the best white-ball bowlers in the world for England.
Stokes’ first match as permanent England captain will be against New Zealand, the country where he was born, at Lord’s on June 2. This is the start of a three-test series that will last three weeks.
He led the Test team in a four-wicket loss to the West Indies in Southampton two years ago when Joe Root was on paternity leave. That was his only first-class match in charge of a Test team.
Despite that, he’s been a long-time leader in the England dressing room. He was praised for how he led an inexperienced team to victory in a 3-0 one-day international series win over Pakistan last year when the first-choice team was unable to play because of bronchial infections.
When he was charged with affray in 2017 after a fight outside a Bristol nightclub, his career was in the balance. He was found not guilty in court, and now he’s the captain of the team.
It’s still important for Key to find a long-term head coach, but he has said that he will split the job into separate red-ball and white-ball roles.