England name Ben Stokes as new Test captain

In what comes as big news, Ben Stokes has officially been named as England's Test captain. There were a lot of speculations regarding the same as the fans waited for the official announcement. Earlier, Joe Root had stepped down as England's red-ball captain.

Advertisment

With Stokes being named the new English Test skipper, a lot of expectations lie on his shoulders. The dynamic cricketer has been one of England's greatest match-winners of this era and thus, several experts and pundits felt that he was the right choice to lead the Brits in the longest format of the game. Thus, he has become England's 81st Test captain.

“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. 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," said Ben Stokes, as quoted by The Guardian.

In the meanwhile, ECB's Chief Executive Officer Tom Harrison expressed his delightment over the fact that Stokes agreed to become England's red-ball skipper. He stated that the 30-year-old was highly passionate about representing England and thus, will relish the challenge of leading the side.

“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," Tom Harrison.

Another important point to be noted is the fact that Rob Key, the Managing Director of England Men's Cricket, himself wanted Stokes to become England's new Test captain. As for the Durham all-rounder, he made his Test debut in 2013. In the 79 Tests he has played so far, Stokes has scored 5061 runs, and has also picked 174 wickets.