Ben Stokes will captain the England side in their first Test against West Indies. This will be the first experience for Stokes as captain in England colours.
Root keeps faith in Stokes
Joe Root will miss the first Test against the Windies and he is set to welcome his second child with his wife Carrie. So Root will have to leave England’s Ageas Bowl training camp on Wednesday afternoon which means he will not be available for the warm-up fixture too. He will rejoin the squad on July 13 and resume his leadership duties ahead of the second Test at Emirates Old Trafford.
While Stokes will lead the team, Jos Buttler will be his deputy. At the beginning of the June, when everyone was aware about the scenario, Root backed Stokes for the role. He told, “I could see him doing a very good job. One of his great qualities as vice-captain and as a leader is he sets the example. The way he goes about training, how he wants to bowl in difficult circumstances, the way he stands up in different scenarios with the bat – he drags people with him.”
Stokes excited to captain England
On Monday even Stokes shared his thoughts on the same. “Even if it’s only the once you can still say: ‘Yeah, I’ve captained England,’ “So, it’s a huge honour to think about, and something I’m really looking forward to if the opportunity presents itself, but also at the same time I know I’m only stepping in to take over the reins for the one game because of Joe’s personal situation.”
He added, “Even if I am in charge, that’s not going to change the way that I go about things in terms of how I influence the game, which is to try to make a positive effect with the ball or bat in my hand. I think no matter what I do in terms of choosing what to do in the situation, it will always be the positive route.”
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