Star England all-rounder Ben Stokes has been appointed as the new captain of the Men’s Test Team, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed on Thursday. Stokes will succeed Joe Root as England’s 81st Test captain after he stepped down from captaincy earlier this month.
“I am honoured 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,” said Stokes after accepting the offer from ECB.
Congratulations to our new Men's Test captain, @benstokes38! 🏴🏏
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) April 28, 2022
Stokes previously captained England in a Test against the West Indies at the Rose Bowl in 2020, in Root’s absence. Stokes’s first Test as permanent England captain will be at Lord’s against the world champions, New Zealand, starting on 2 June.
“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.” he added.
With the bat 🏏
With the ball 🔴
In the field 🤲
Our leader 🧢 pic.twitter.com/knXzk3s62z— England Cricket (@englandcricket) April 28, 2022
The 30-year-old Stokes made his Test debut in December 2013 and has been a talismanic player for England across formats. So far he has played 79 Test matches. He was named vice-captain in February 2017. The talismanic batter currently has 5,061 Test runs at an average of 35.89. He has taken 174 wickets with the ball and is known amongst the best all-rounders in the world.
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