Ben Stokes has been named as the new Test captain for the England men’s team. He was appointed by the new director of England Cricket, Rob Key. Stokes would be taking over from where former skipper Joe Root stopped. The first thing on his schedule would be to deliver England when they face New Zealand in June.

Speaking about his appointment, Stokes said that he was honoured and excited to be given the chance to lead England. He said, “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.” He also took the time to thank Root for his contribution to the team.

Key commented that he did not hesitate to offer Stokes the position: “had no hesitation in offering the role of Test captain to Ben. He epitomises the mentality and approach we want to take this team forward into the next era of red-ball cricket.”

Stokes would be taking charge of a team that has not tasted victory in many months. Their shameful loss to Australia in December triggered a wave of resignation and appointment that led to Stokes’ captaincy. The country is also looking to recruit separate coaches for their Test and white-ball teams. This is all in a bid to improve England’s performance.

Stokes has some experience in leading the Test team. In 2020, while Root was on paternity leave, Stokes stepped in and led England to a four-wicket victory against West Indies in a one-day Test. He also led England to a 3-0 ODI series win last year against Pakistan. After that, he was away for some months before coming back to help England face Australia at the Ashes.

Written by: Leon Osamor