Joe Root, Harry Brook, and Ben Stokes in frame. Image Credit: AFP
Ben Stokes as England Test Captain: The England Cricket Team has been in shambles for some time now. While the on-field performances have been mixed in the last few years, off the field, their players are pretty consistent. Almost after each big-ticket series, one or the other player is involved in a controversial moment. Be it Harry Brook and other players fighting with bouncers in Wellington, or their test captain, Ben Stokes, and Gus Atkinson now getting into a fight with a Saracens rugby player. With their latest altercation, it is believed that Stokes could very well be removed from test captaincy. If that is indeed true, then Rob Key and Brendon McCullum would have to look at a new captain. So here are three options who could replace Stokes as the English test skipper.
After the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) revealed that Ben Stokes and fellow player Gus Atkinson were being questioned about a nightclub incident that supposedly also involved a Saracens rugby player, it seems Stokes’ position as the captain of the England cricket team is at risk. The board is examining the behavior of Stokes and Atkinson for a possible breach of team rules in the early hours of Monday, shortly after England defeated New Zealand in the first Test match at Lord’s. The team scandal in the England squad continues to emerge as the squad was blamed for having a drinking culture after a 4-1 Ashes series defeat in January during their trip to Australia.
Harry Brook, being the vice-captain of the test team, seems to be the automatic choice to step up for the captaincy role. The English batter has been one of the top batters for the test team since Brendon McCullum took over. However, while leading the English ODI team in New Zealand last year, he too had an altercation in a nightclub with a bouncer. With a disciplinary issue being the reason behind Ben Stokes axing, Brook might not be the number one choice due to his issues in the past.
Ben Stokes’ predecessor, Joe Root is being considered as an option to lead England. The number one ranked test batter captained England in 64 games in the longest format. While he performed superbly with the bat in hand, the team did not have the best of results under his leadership. Given how he has been not only England’s but the best batter in the world in recent times, it will be a tough decision from the management to hand him the extra responsibility.
Jacob Bethell, despite being only 22 years old, is one of the options to lead the English test team. The Barbados-born has already led the team in ODIs, becoming the youngest to do so for an English team. He recently solidified his place in the test team with a match-winning century in the fifth Ashes in Australia. Bethell has been looked at as the next big thing in English cricket and giving him the captaincy despite his young age might not be a bad option.
Pragun is a passionate cricket follower and writer who deeply loves the game. Having completed his education with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, he has an experience of almost two years in diverse fields. He is known for his statistical and analytical articles. Pragun tries to bring life to his articles by adding a layer of enthusiasm from the perspective of a hardcore fan. Apart from writing cricket articles, he sometimes appears on YouTube videos on a friend’s podcast.
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