Not Joe Root! 26 year Old Stalwart Set To Become England Captain After Jos Buttler (Source: AP)
In what comes as a big development, Harry Brook is all set to take over as England T20I captain, while Ben Stokes remains the first choice for ODI skipper following Jos Buttler's resignation, according to a report in DailyMail. Stokes hasn't played ODI cricket since the World Cup 2023. He had earlier announced retirement from the format but made himself available for the gala event in India. ECB Managing Director Rob Key wants Stokes to play ODIs, however, there is a question mark if his body can take the toll in a year that will see England play five Test series against India and Australia.
Earlier, Stokes had also expressed desire to play ODI cricket for England on coach Brendon McCullum's request.
"It's an amazing opportunity for the white-ball team to experience what Baz has brought to the Test team," Stokes told Sky Sports during the third ODI at Chester-le-Street. "He's an incredible coach who speaks with utter commitment, and it's nice to have all three teams now with the same messaging and the same philosophies towards playing cricket.
"If I get the call and [Baz] says, 'do you want to come and play?' Then obviously, it's definitely going to be a yes, but I'm not going to be too disappointed if I don't, because I can just sit back and watch everyone else go out and smack it.
"I've played a lot of white-ball cricket for England, and I'm very happy with what I've achieved in that form of the game," he added. "But to be honest, we've not even spoken about anything like that whatsoever. I think he's just letting me concentrate on what I need to concentrate on, especially around the Test team."
If ECB decides against bringing Stokes back, Brook could take charge of the ODI team, too. Stokes is currently recovering from the hamstring injury he picked up against New Zealand in December.
Ben Stokes To Miss India Series?
Meanwhile, there are concerns that Ben Stokes might miss the upcoming five-match Test series against India in June. Stokes' County coach at Durham Ryan Campbell said the England veteran has been tracking well as he continues his recovery from hamstring surgery but hinted that he may need more time to reach peak fitness.
"My expectation is that it'll be zero (early-season matches) - anything else is an added bonus. They're coming back from serious injuries. The facts are they need to get up and running by the time the Test matches start," Campbell said as quoted by ICC's official website.
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