Ben Strokes appointed as new Test captain of England

The 30-year-old player will be the 81st captain and his first Test as the skipper will be when New Zealand comes visiting in June this year.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Thursday appointed star all-rounder Ben Strokes as the captain of England’s Test team.

Strokes will be taking over from Joe Root, who resigned after losses to Australia and West Indies recently.

England’s new Managing Director, Rob Key, revealed that they were more than ready to offer Stokes the position once Root decided to step down from his role.

The 30-year-old player will be the 81^st captain and his first Test as the skipper will be when New Zealand comes visiting in June this year.

Last year, Strokes took an indefinite break from cricket to focus on his mental health while also recovering from a second operation on a broken finger before he returned to the squad for the Ashes series.

Stokes has captained in one Test previously, a defeat to West Indies when Root was on paternity leave in 2020.

Stokes made his Test debut in December 2013 and has represented his country on 79 occasions at this level.

He was named vice-captain in February 2017 and also stood in as captain when Root was absent for the birth of his second child in the summer of 2020.

The Durham star currently has 5,061 Test runs at an average of 35.89. He has taken 174 wickets with the ball and is amongst the best all-rounders in the world.

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