Michael Vaughan names the "only" option to replace Joe Root as England captain

04/15/2022

Michael Vaughan has claimed that Ben Stokes is the "only" person who should take over from Joe Root as England Test captain.

Root has resigned as skipper after a disastrous run of results which culminated in a series defeat to the West Indies last month. And Stokes is widely viewed as his most likely successor, given he is one of few players guaranteed a spot in the side if fit and has previously filled in as captain.

In his latest column in the Telegraph, Vaughan backed Stokes to get the job, writing: "There is only one person that should take over the Test team now and that is Ben Stokes. When someone takes over the mantle, you have got no idea what they will be like.

"But he's got a great cricket brain – you can see that when he bats. And his will to win is incredible.

"Yes, Stokes doesn't have that much captaincy experience. But sometimes that is not so important if you have a presence and feel for the game." Vaughan did admit he is concerned that Stokes "will try to do everything", but feels Root could become his "biggest ally" if he takes the job.

"The biggest fear with giving the captaincy to an all-rounder, who thinks they need to do it all themselves, is they will burn themselves out," Vaughan added. "We saw that with Andrew Flintoff when he was Test captain.

"What Ben will need around him is people who tell him: 'Ben, you can’t do everything.' My slight worry is that Ben will try to do everything – he will not get his own performances right if he goes in with that mentality.

"It is just about getting the right people in the right positions – England have a lot of support staff, who they need to get right. And Joe Root could be his biggest ally.

"He will not be the vice-captain but he will be able to give Ben his honest feedback day in, day out. They are very close. "

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