Can Ben Stokes Turn Things Around for England?

It was always on the cards that Ben Stokes would succeed Joe Root as England captain. So his appointment as the country’s 81st Test captain came as no surprise whatsoever. Hewas the vice-captain for quite a while, and is clearly the best man to inspire his teammates to perform above their potential. Leading from the front will come naturally to a dynamic player like Stokes who turns 31 next month. As an all-rounder he follows in the footsteps of his predecessors Ian Botham and Andrew Flintoff both of whom led England, though not without much success. Botham in fact didn’t have a win in his 12 Tests as captain during 1980-81 while Flintoff infamously led England to a 5-0 whitewash in Australia in 2006-07.

Great players do not automatically make great captains, it will be interesting to see how Stokes fares in his new role. He certainly will have his hands full for England are not exactly a great team as their standing of No 6 in the ICC Test rankings indicates. He will also be keen on correcting their dubious record of having only one of the last 17 Tests. But as the cricketing cliché goes, a captain is only as good as his team and with a number of mediocre players around it will need all of Stokes’ dynamism to get the best out of his teammates. This was one reason why Root’s leadership qualities and his captaincy record were viewed with some sympathy. Perhaps he was too nice a guy but the fact remains that England’s batting in particular has been wobbly for some time now, and there is no point in putting the blame on the captain for repeated batting failures.

However, Stokes gives the impression that he will be a no-nonsense, hard headed leader who will demand and get the best out of his teammates. It will take some doing, but if there is one person who can do this it has to be Stokes. He has seen it all, and this is not just about his Test record, which is outstanding. Off the field he knows what it is to be beset by mental health problems, to be charged with affray and then be acquitted in a high profile court case. He is also aware of the pressures and the adulation that are routine for a world class cricketer who is expected to deliver every time.

Stokes has got a head start, he enjoys a cordial relationship with Rob Key, ECB’s new MD of cricket operations. He has also been saying the right things, talking about expecting a team of “selfless” cricketers to take the field alongside. A thorough professional, his priority will be to gather people around him who he can trust, and who are on the same wavelength. He has also indicated that he would welcome back James Anderson and Stuart Broad to the side. The experienced duo had been axed from the tour to the West Indies in a decision that caused eyebrows to be raised.

Stokes has also touched upon specific issues like making it clear that Root will be back at No 4 in the batting order while he will come in at No 6, so as to reduce his own workload. Incidentally, Root averages 51.27 at No 4, almost 12 runs more than his mark at one drop. He has shuttled up and down at various points during his captaincy but now his successor has made it clear that he wants him to bat in the pivotal No 4 slot where he has enjoyed the most success. “I feel him at No 4 and me at No 6 gives us a bit of experience in that gap and I am now hoping for people to put their hands up for No’s 3 and 5 in the batting order,” said Stokes coming across as a refreshingly different leader who is willing to discuss anything in a typically forthright manner.

Stokes has also said he does not expect the captaincy to affect his form as it affected Botham but not Flintoff. Both were instinctive cricketers not particularly well served by the demands of captaincy. England cricket fans will no doubt hope that Stokes will fare better as a leader even while there appears to be little danger of his performances with bat and ball being affected. He is unlikely to spend too much time analysing the lessons of history. As he has said, “I have had to deal with comparisons to Botham and Flintoff since I was 18 or 19. And I have always maintained that I am not trying to be either of them, just Ben Stokes.”

Be that as it may be with just over 5000 runs at an average of almost 36 allied to a tally of 174 wickets at 32 apiece from 79 Tests Stokes certainly has the record to match his two illustrious predecessors. How far all this comes in handy in his new role as captain remains to be seen.