Ben Stokes has backed Harry Brook to interchange him as England’s Test captain, insisting it’s a “natural progression” for his deputy.
Twenty 4 hours after dropping the bombshell announcement that he was retiring from international cricket, Stokes appeared for the ultimate time as an England cricketer at Trent Bridge.
He bowed out in a losing cause, Recent Zealand wrapping up a 160-run win and a 2-1 series scoreline as they gate-crashed Stokes’ leaving party with one other excellent team performance.
England don’t play red-ball cricket for one more seven weeks, leaving loads of time to put in his successor, but the choice is unlikely to take that long.
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PICTURE: Jacob King/PA
Realistic options
Unless they spring an enormous leftfield call, there appears to be only two realistic options – a second act for Stokes’ predecessor Joe Root or a promotion for vice-captain Harry Brook, who already leads the limited-overs teams.
It was Root who was pressed into service on the Kia Oval earlier this month, entering into the breach after Stokes was stood down while a disciplinary investigation unfolded right into a nightclub incident that first plunged his reign into doubt.
Brook was previously involved in a late night altercation with a bouncer the night before an ODI in Wellington last November and there was a sense that asking him to front up a gaggle that has been criticised for its relationship with alcohol wouldn’t have sat easily.
But Stokes made it clear that he was fully behind Brook, urging the England and Wales Cricket Board to appoint his deputy.
PICTURE: Mike Egerton/PA
Natural progression
“If I used to be to be asked who I feel should do it, I can be throwing my 100 per cent support behind Harry Brook,” he said.
“There’s a reason he was asked to be vice-captain of this team.
“I do know with all of the controversy over the past couple of weeks some decisions were made but they were decisions I used to be not part of constructing.
“You might be asked to be vice-captain for a reason and I used to be vice-captain under Joe for a very long time.
“It’s the natural progression: if the captain is just not there, you step up. You don’t ask someone to be vice-captain if you happen to don’t think he’s got the abilities and talent to captain the team.
“There is completely no reason why Harry shouldn’t be asked to do this.”
PICTURE: Mike Egerton/PA
Interesting ride
Stokes offered a less effusive take when it got here to move coach Brendon McCullum and managing director Rob Key, the opposite two power players of the ‘Bazball’ era that has now closed.
After seven defeats within the last nine Tests, and a rare home series defeat on their record, each men have to see an improvement in results and a discount in off-field headlines.
Asked if McCullum and Key were the boys to take the team forward, he said: “What me, Brendon and Rob have managed to do over 4 and a half years, I’m not going to lie, it’s been an interesting ride.
“We’ve had incredible highs and a few pretty low lows as well.
“It’s all the time worked and connected pretty much by way of what we’ve wanted to realize. It doesn’t all the time work out the best way you wish it to work out.
“I’m done now, I don’t should take those kind of selections and be involved in all that stuff.
“One in all the good feelings of the situation I’m in now’s that I don’t should worry about that stuff.”
PICTURE: Robbie Stephenson/PA
‘I’m done’
Stokes has form with treating retirements as temporary affairs, ending his ODI profession only to return for the 2023 World Cup.
He also persuaded Moeen Ali to come back back for one last Ashes task after he walked away from Test cricket.
But he insisted speculation that he may very well be tempted back to face Australia next summer was wide of the mark.
“I’m done,” he said.
“I’ve had a number of questions asking whether I’ll find a way to take a seat on my sofa watching next 12 months. I comprehend it’s the Ashes but I’ll probably be watching it in a hospitality box somewhere.”
READ MORE: England well beaten by Recent Zealand as Ben Stokes era ends on a low note
