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Former England skipper Ben Stokes questioned the Three Lions' decision not to appoint Harry Brook as Test captain despite him being the vice-captain.
Stokes said that if someone is viewed as a future leader, they should be given the opportunity, adding that he himself had little captaincy experience when he took over but was trusted to lead the team. Joe Root got another spell as Test captain after the retirement of Stokes from international cricket. "If you think someone is going to be a good captain or a good leader, just give it to them. Brooky [was] made vice-captain. I'm not there anymore, but even when I missed that Test match [against New Zealand] I was like 'why is Brooky not captain? He's vice-captain," Stokes said on the For The Love of Cricket podcast, as per Sky Sports. "And I understood the reasoning why they were saying it, but I was still like, what message is that sending to him? He's vice-captain, and the captain is not playing, but he's not captain. Then the same again here. I had no leadership or captaincy experience when I took over. It was just thought I was going to be a good captain," he added. Stokes also wished Root success in his captaincy role, saying his only concern is Root's well-being after witnessing the sacrifices he made for the team. Stokes praised Root for always putting the team's needs ahead of his own. "I wish him [Root] nothing but success. I hope he goes on and achieves amazing things in his role as captain. I told Joe, I said my only worry is just you. And that's all I really care about now, just because I have seen what he went through and how much he put himself through for someone. He's just always put the team first - he always comes second," Stokes said. Root, England's most successful Test captain with 27 wins from a record 65 matches in charge, resumes the role after previously leading the side from 2017 to 2022. He also served as interim captain during the recent Test against New Zealand at The Oval. (ANI)
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