All-rounder Ben Stokes was on Thursday named the captain of England’s men’s Test team by the England and Wales Cricket Board. The development comes after Joe Root resigned from the post earlier this month after a spate of losses, which included a 0-4 thrashing in the Ashes at the hands of Australia. England are at the bottom of the points table of the current cycle of ICC Test Championship.
Stokes’ first Test as permanent England captain will be against world champions New Zealand at Lord’s on 2 June.
He previously captained England in the first Test defeat by West Indies in 2020 when Root missed the match to attend the birth of his second child.
Stokes also led the one-day international side to a 3-0 series victory over Pakistan last summer after a Covid outbreak forced England to name an entirely new squad.
He subsequently took a break from cricket in July for his mental wellbeing and to allow a finger injury to heal but returned to the England squad for the Ashes series.
Following England’s tour of the West Indies in March, Stokes has been suffering pain in his left knee, but is hoping to make a return for county side Durham in May.
England are also in the process of filling their head coach vacancy after Chris Silverwood was sacked in February following the 4-0 Ashes defeat by Australia in the winter.
After three Tests against New Zealand in June, England face India in the rescheduled fifth Test in July, before three Tests against South Africa in August and September.
