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Harry Brook is the clear frontrunner to replace Ben Stokes, who sent shockwaves through the cricketing world by announcing his sudden retirement from international duty. But is he the best candidate?
Finding the next leader for the red-ball side is the immediate priority for England’s management with the selectors at a fascinating crossroads – they must decide whether to choose an obvious successor or look toward a few inspired, left-field county choices to pilot the post-Bazball era.
Here are five candidates who could take over the mantle of England Test captain.
1. Harry Brook
The current Test vice-captain and limited-overs skipper is the natural heir to the throne. Having just masterminded a 4-0 T20I series sweep over world champions India, Brook has proven his tactical pragmatism and sharp cricketing mind.
Aside from leadership he is a generational batting phenom, averaging 53.05 in Test cricket and ranking among the very best in the world. Stokes has offered his “100 percent support” for his appointment.
The only hesitation is the immense burden of managing him across all three international formats. Regardless, he remains the favourite to succeed Stokes.
2. Joe Root
When Stokes was sidelined during the recent New Zealand series, England returned to their most experienced head. Root’s previous five-year tenure as captain ended under immense pressure, but he represents an ideal bridge or a stabilizing interim choice.
Aside from his leadership abilities Root is an absolute titan of the game, boasting over 14,000 Test runs and able to provide handy off-spin options.
Root would bring calm, professional authority, letting younger players focus purely on their cricket without tactical panic. But appointing Root would feel like a backward step and a short-term solution.
3. James Vince
A classic left-field selection, Vince has long been arguably the most accomplished and highly respected captain on the county circuit for several years. He has routinely guided Hampshire to domestic trophies with an astute tactical blueprint and an unflappable temperament.
Aside from being an excellent leader he possesses an elegant, top-order batting technique and remains a superb slip fielder.
Selecting Vince would mirror the famous historic appointment of Mike Brearley – picking a specialist leader whose primary skill is elite man-management and county-honed strategy.
It’s a time-honoured debate, do you pick your best XI and then appoint a captain from the resources available, or do you find the best leader and then build a team around them? Vince is old though and at 35-years-old, like Root, his time has probably passed.
Also read: Ranked – Ben Stokes compared to arguably the best all-rounder in Test cricket history
4. Keaton Jennings
Jennings has quietly built an exceptional leadership resume at Lancashire, proving himself to be an incredibly tough, resilient, and forward-thinking captain in first-class cricket.
Aside from his captaincy credentials he is also a gritty opening batter who knows exactly what it takes to grind out tough, long-form runs against the new ball.
England’s Test side has often struggled for top-order stability. Elevating an experienced, tactically sound opener could anchor both the batting lineup and the team culture.
And if there is one spot in the England Test side that remains up-for-grabs, it is who opens alongside Ben Duckett – Emilio Gay is the incumbent but did he do enough against New Zealand to stay there.
5. Tom Abell
The long-time heartbeat of Somerset, Abell is highly regarded across England for his selfless team-first ethic, aggressive captaincy style, and excellent communication skills.
A highly dependable middle-order batter and an athletic fielder who can also chip in with useful medium-pace overs, he is not quite a like-for-like replacement for Stokes, but he certainly wouldn’t be out of place in the space vacated by the former skipper.
Abell embodies the exact brand of “selfless” cricket that Stokes championed. Unlike the other left-field candidates mentioned on this list Abell has never been capped at international level.
Read next: Anatomy of a prodigy – Decoding Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s strike rates per phase of the innings
The post Next cab off the rank – 5 potential candidates to succeed Ben Stokes as England Test captain appeared first on Cricket365.
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