ENG vs AUS: "I Have Seen No Captain Ever Having An Impact Like Ben Stokes" - Alastair Cook Lauds England’s Test Skipper

Updated - 26 Jul 2023, 05:18 PM

Ben Stokes
Ben Stokes (Image Credits: Twitter)

Former England captain Sir Alastair Cook lauded skipper Ben Stokes for turning the Test team into a dominant force since taking charge. Alastair Cook believes that Ben Stokes will have a big impact on the England Test team, highlighting that he can be judged at the end of his stint.

The England team had won only one of their last 17 Test matches before Ben Stokes was named captain. Under Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum, they adopted a new attacking style of play, which brought them success at both home and away for an extended period of time.

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Still Has A Lot Of Years Left In Him – Alastair Cook

In an interview with the Times of India, Alastair Cook opened up about Ben Stokes’ approach towards the game, recalling past conversations they had.

“Stokes once told me, ‘What’s the difference between trying to defend and nicking to the ’keeper and trying to score runs and getting caught in the outfield? Both are getting out.’ That’s the way he thinks and he has been able to make his players think on similar lines,” Cook said.

“I have seen no captain ever having an impact like Stokes. But I don’t want to get carried away because he still has a lot of years left in him and a captain should be judged only at the end of his stint,” he added.

The Ben Stokes-led team is currently facing Australia in the five-match Ashes 2023 series at home. The Three Lions are trailing Australia 2-1 in the series after the fourth Test ended in a draw.

They Will Have Nothing To Lose – Alastair Cook

Alastair Cook stated that the England team will continue with their approach against the high-quality Indian bowling attack, which includes Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, in their upcoming series in 2024.

“The England team under me lost 0-4 in India. After that, Root’s team lost 1-3. Yes, they will play in a completely different way this time when they go and they might still lose against the quality of R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. But they will have nothing to lose and I can guarantee you, they won’t die wondering.”

England faced series defeats during their last two tours of India, in 2021 and 2017. Alastair Cook was the last captain to lead a team to a Test series win in India, registering a 2-1 victory during the four-match Test series in 2012.

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Alastair Cook Ben Stokes England National Cricket Team Joe Root The Ashes 2023