Ben Stokes
Ben Stokes. Credits: Twitter.

Mike Brearley, former England captain, feels that all-rounder Ben Stokes has the potential to become a successful Test captain.

Ben Stokes had a horrendous start to his captaincy career earlier this summer. The Durham all-rounder stepped in for regular captain Joe Root, who was on paternity leave, in the first Test of the summer, and it proved to be the only game England lost this season.

Joe Root came back to win the next three Tests before drawing the last two.

“I think there are some players who cannot not be selected as captain, and Ben Stokes is one,” Mike Brearley told The Cricketer.

“It is almost like they are so larger than life, they are so inspiring as players [that they have to be given the role]… Ben is an inspiring man for people. Andrew Flintoff was given the role in Australia in 2006/07. Sometimes the best players are not the best captains, though,” he added.

“I don’t know about the ins and outs of selection for that Test. Maybe Joe Root had a say in going for Mark Wood instead of Broad,” he added.

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The job could come Ben’s way after the Ashes’- Mike Brearley on Ben Stokes becoming England Test captain

Ben Stokes Can Be A Successful Test Captain- Mike Brearley
Ben Stokes. (Credits: Web)

Joe Root’s job as England captain is pretty secure till the 2021/22 Ashes series in Australia, where he will look to avenge the 0-4 drubbing that England suffered in 2017-18.

Mike Brearley thinks that the job could come Ben Stokes way after the Ashes in Australia.

“The job could come Ben’s way after the Ashes. I think Stokes can be a good captain – but then I thought that about Ian Botham,” Brearley reckoned.

Ben Stokes Can Be A Successful Test Captain- Mike Brearley
Ian Botham and Rod Marsh.

The former English captain also went on to compare the legendary Ian Botham with Ben Stokes. According to Brearley, Botham, at his peak, was a better bowler than Stokes but also added that the Durham all-rounder is a far more complete batsman than Botham.

“Although there are lots of similarities between them there are also lots of differences. Ian, at his best, was a better bowler than Stokes – but I’m sure Stokes is a better batsman. He is more complete. He’s really got hold of himself, deciding to develop his defensive play.,” he said

“He’s not purely a hitter anymore, although he can still do it, as he did in the second innings of the second Test against West Indies at Emirates Old Trafford. I thought Ian might have become a No.5 for England and bowled a bit – which is the role Stokes now has. Ian never quite made that transition.” he added.

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