Ben Stokes was on Thursday named as the new skipper of England’s men’s test side while Joe Root resigned from the leadership role earlier this month after suffering a great loss from Australia 0-4 in the Ashes.
All-rounder Ben Stokes was named the new leader of England’s men’s test side by the England and Wales Cricket Board. Joe Root resigned from the leadership role earlier this month after suffering a great loss from Australia, which included 0-4 in the Ashes. England is at the bottom of the points table of the current cycle of the ICC Test championship.
“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 81st captain of the England Men’s Test team. The ECB Interim Chair and Chief Executive Officer approved the appointment on Tuesday evening following the recommendation by the Managing Director of England Men’s Cricket, Rob Key,”
ECB said in its official release.
Stokes is considered to be England’s one of the best match-finisher across formats while he takes over from Root, who put an end to his captaincy period of five years. After suffering from Australia in the Ashes, Root left the job as England’s most successful Test skipper.
Root represented England in 64 Tests, winning 27 and losing 26 of them. All of these are a record for an England captain. His win percentage (42.08) is just behind Michael Vaughan, whose winning percentage was 50.98 in more than 50 matches.
While talking about the appointment of Stroke, Managing director of England’s Men’s Cricket Side, Rob Key said,
“I had no hesitation in offering the role of Test captain to Ben.
“He epitomizes the mentality and approach we want to take this team forward into the next era of red-ball cricket. I am delighted that he has accepted, and he is ready for the added responsibility and the honor. He thoroughly deserves the opportunity.”
Tom Harrison, ECB Chief Executive Officer, said,
“I am delighted that Ben has agreed to become England Men’s Test captain, which is another great achievement in his extraordinary career in an England shirt.
“He cares deeply and passionately about what it means to represent England and he will lead us into a new era with great pride. It’s an important summer for our Test side and Ben will I am sure relish the challenge before him and his team.”
England Men’s Test Captain, Ben Stokes, added,
“I am honored to be given the chance to lead the England Test team. This is a real privilege, and I’m 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 my development as a leader in the dressing room, and he will continue to be a key ally for me in this role.”