Michael Atherton Believes 'Considering Ben Stokes As A Long-Term England Captain Would Be A Mistake'

Former England skipper Michael Atherton reckons it would have been a ‘mistake’ to contemplate Ben Stokes as a ‘long-term’ possibility for the England Test captaincy because the demanding position ‘wears down’ even the most tenacious of personalities.

Stokes was appointed as England Test skipper on Thursday. Before the recent failures, the all-rounder had been at the helm of England’s Test cricket for 64 Tests, with a lot of success.

“Stokes isn’t necessarily a long-term solution. There’s no need for Stokes to suffer the same fate as the toughest and most flinty of character,” in his column for The Times, Atherton, who has captained England in 54 Tests, said.

Stokes, according to Atherton, should be invited to lead the team for a short time before stepping down while he still has anything to offer on the field.

“Let him offer it his all for a brief duration, trying to change mindsets and approaches, and then step away while he still has something to give as a player.”

“It was once remarked that the captaincy of England is a coconut, not a crown.” There will undoubtedly be plenty of individuals who try their hand at it in the months ahead, but, to quote Key, “the moment is right.” “Indeed,” he added.

Ben Stokes calls leading the test team an “honour”:

Stokes, who has moreover 5,000 runs and 174 wickets in 79 tests for England, described leading the test team as an “honour.”

“This is a tremendous honour, and I’m looking forward to getting started this summer,” he said.

Root played an important role in Stokes’ growth as a leader in the England locker room, according to Stokes.

“I want to thank Joe for everything he’s done for English cricket and for always being such a tremendous advocate for the game all over the world,” Stokes said of England’s batting talisman.

“He’s been a huge part of my growth as a leader in the locker room, and he’ll continue to be a valuable ally in this role.”

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