Stokes bites on captaincy as Root faces fire

2 years ago 402

Ben Stokes has thrown his afloat enactment down Joe Root successful airy of different unsuccessful Ashes run headed by the embattled skipper.

As vice-captain, Stokes is the evident prime to regenerate Root should the ECB determine it is clip to enact a change.

However, the allrounder has backed Root's leadership, saying helium has nary aspiration to regenerate him successful the apical job.

"I've ne'er truly had an ambition to beryllium a captain," helium said.

"A skipper is idiosyncratic you privation to spell retired and play for. Joe Root is idiosyncratic I ever privation to play for.

"It's wholly Joe's decision. He shouldn't beryllium forced into doing it. I'm definite Cooky (previous skipper Alastair Cook) felt the aforesaid way. He did it for truthful agelong and erstwhile helium knew his clip was up.

"Those discussions haven't entered anyplace adjacent Joe yet.

"I don't consciousness that astatine each with Joe. The astir important people's opinions are those guys successful the dressing country and they've got our thorough support.

"He's brought this squad a agelong way. He's done immoderate large things. Obviously, this bid hasn't gone excessively good - not from a captaincy constituent of view, but from a squad and results constituent of view."

After four-and-a-half years arsenic captain, Root volition surpass Alastair Cook arsenic England's longest-serving Test skipper erstwhile helium takes to the SCG this week for the 4th Test match.

Cricket fable Ian Chappell has antecedently slammed Root's captaincy successful the aftermath of England's dismal performances, adding to their disastrous Ashes run grounds connected Australian soil.

Chappell called for Stokes to instrumentality implicit if a alteration was made.

"If you look done that squad list, Ben Stokes is the lone sanction that comes up arsenic an enactment if you're going to driblet Joe Root," Chappell told Wide World of Sports' Outside The Rope past month.

"There are definite players that you shouldn't marque captain.

"It's going to measurement them down. Alastair Cook wasn't a skipper successful my book, and it weighed him down. You've got to get guys who are buoyed by the job.

"Pat Cummins to maine is going to beryllium buoyed by the job, helium looks guardant to it.

"I don't deliberation Joe likes the job, but I deliberation helium likes the rewards that travel with being England captain. But you spell done that list, there's lone 1 sanction you tin travel up with.

"If Ben Stokes says, 'Mate, I don't privation to cognize astir it,' good wherever bash you spell from there? Send up a prayer."

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