Harry Brook or Ben Stokes? Eoin Morgan announces new England white-ball captain

England's World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan has revealed his choice for the team's new captain for the ODI and the T20I format. Morgan picked Harry Brook and Ben Stokes as the contenders for the role and explained what they bring to the table.

While Harry Brook is young and regarded as the future of English cricket, Ben Stokes has the experience on his side but has been injury-prone. Morgan spoke about the qualities that both players bring to the team and explained their respective roles.

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Eoin Morgan backs Harry Brook

During a conversation on Sky Sports, Eoin Morgan was asked to pick his choice for England's new white-ball captain. The former England skipper feels that Harry Brook has the potential and the selectors can invest in his leadership skills.

According to Morgan, Brook has been impressive in his limited opportunities as a captain and his performance hasn't been bothered because of his captaincy. Brook is also a talented batter who has been really impressive in his international career so far.

"If you highlight something that's in three-four years, I think somebody like Harry Brook would do a magnificent job. He had the captaincy at the end of the summer last year against a really strong Australian side and I thought that he was impressive," Morgan noted.

"The thing in Harry Brook is that he is an incredibly talented player we're seeing grow and get better year-on-year which is just a joy to watch. But the leadership role didn't seem to vein him and that's a really good sign. So, that would be encouraging signs for me to invest in the likes of Harry Brook moving forward," he reckoned.

Brook or Stokes? 🤔

Eoin Morgan gives his pick for new England white-ball captain 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 pic.twitter.com/q4QoLpYEN5

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) March 29, 2025

Eoin Morgan labels Ben Stokes as a "strong leader"

Eoin Morgan also didn't rule out the possibility of bringing in Ben Stokes as the new white-ball skipper. He feels that Stokes can be a strong leader but the call needs to be taken by considering his injury-prone body in mind.

Morgan also cited the examples of India and Australia who have strong captains in the form of Rohit Sharma and Pat Cummins. He feels that Stokes has the ability to fulfill that role but his workload needs to be managed carefully.

"I think a bit of left-field call would be to ask Ben Stokes to consider the role, not necessarily on a full-time basis but if you were to take the role open say we actually think that we can win everything or compete in everything going forward, I think you need a strong leader in that role," said Morgan.

"You look at the leaders that have taken the likes of India and Australia to the level of consistency and performance in white-ball cricket in recent times. You've Pat Cummins and Rohit Sharma, two of the world's greatest or brilliant leaders who know how to lead their own side and how to win games of cricket. Ben is one of those characters," he explained.

England's downfall in white-ball cricket

England's recent performances in white-ball cricket have been below par. The team crashed out of the group stage of the Champions Trophy 2025 after losing to Afghanistan, England, and South Africa.

After the loss, skipper Jos Buttler resigned from the role of captaincy, which prompted the selectors to think about the team's new white-ball skipper. The next ICC event is in 2026 when the T20 World Cup will be played.

Previously, England were also unable to qualify for the semi-finals of the ODI World Cup 2023 and lost the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2024. Their constant failure has raised questions over their approach in the white-ball formats.