Ben Stokes Can Reverse England’s Slumping Test Cricket Fortunes If He Is Appointed Captain

England’s wheezing Test team, who have been dull to watch and you suspect it’s been a dreary setup to be part of, might just receive a spark to resuscitate this slumbering cricket powerhouse.

Ben Stokes, England’s talisman, is almost surely set to be be named his country’s new Test captain. Reports from the UK suggest his appointment might be officially announced this week in the aftermath of Joe Root recently stepping down after a horrid period where England were humiliated in the Ashes in Australia and then lost an away series to the lowly West Indies.

A jaded Root, who has carried a limp England batting line-up for what feels an eternity, just couldn’t take it any longer even though he seemed to occupy the position because there was no alternative. It’s like a leader of a rudderless political party who knows a landslide election loss is looming, but there is nothing else to do but grin and bear and go down with the sinking ship.

During England’s Ashes nightmare, Root cast a lonely figure after continual thrashings and amid the losing battle his sublime batting – which had never looked better during a glorious 2021 – fell into a spiral. He looked tired, beaten down, as his usually supreme concentration wavered and triggered uncharacteristic rash dismissals.

He rediscovered his batting touch on the sedate pitches in the Caribbean, but it wasn’t enough as England’s mishmash collection of talent fell in a heap during a disastrous third Test defeat to deliver the hammer blow to Root’s captaincy.

The baby-faced Root somehow continues to resemble one of his many wide-eyed young compatriots on the backpacking trail across Europe, who jaunt around the continent’s finest capitals soaking in museums and pubs in equally doses. But, in fact, Root is now 31 years old having completed a gruelling 64 Tests in charge for 27 wins and 26 losses.

Those three stat columns are all-time captaincy records for England and overall it’s not disastrous. It’s merely an average record, as the maths suggest, but things fell apart in the back end when the whole Test team felt like they were collectively running on fumes.

England had become an eyesore, devoid of any verve in the complete antithesis of their turbocharged limited overs teams. With Root stepping down and coach Chris Silverwood sacked after the Ashes, England are desperately undergoing a renewal led by new England and Wales Cricket Board managing director Rob Key, who was a well-respected broadcaster known for his dry wit and insight while also, somewhat comically, sounding 20 years older than he actually is.

The 42-year-old at least doesn’t have the awkward first task of making a decision on Root’s captaincy, thankfully for the newcomer, but nailing the captaincy and head coach roles will be pivotal to his success in the high-profile gig.

The captaincy is Stokes for the taking although it’s a role that he hasn’t really been linked with in the past. He missed the 2017-18 Ashes tour, which was in the aftermath of a late-night street fracas in Bristol, and also had a stint away from cricket last year due to prioritizing his mental wellbeing.

Stokes will have much to ponder whether he wants to go through the grind having seen how the post – where captains can be human punching bags – wore down Root and his predecessor Alastair Cook.

Such the cupboard bare in England cricket ranks, they have only had two Test skippers in the past decade but Stokes might just light a fuse under the post after Root and Cook’s rather conservative approach.

Stokes, a devastating match-winner with bat and ball, plays with aggression and his innate attacking instincts could desperately provide a tonic for a stodgy England team lacking confidence.

Of course, his appointment comes with risk. Just because he’s such an audacious cricketer doesn’t equate to captaincy success. As such, most captains generally tend to be pragmatists because it’s a role unlike the shorter formats and requires a certain amount of grunt work to be undertaken. There are many long days in the field leaving captains to contemplate why exactly they undertook this unforgiving responsibility in the first place.

But maybe his instincts with bat and ball, which he can temper given the situation, can translate into tactical nous. Stokes will need to strike the right balance between attack and defence. It is a tightrope Pat Cummins, so far, has walked with aplomb in his short reign as Australia’s captain.

Pairing him with the right coach will be imperative. Experienced coach Graham Ford is seen as a strong contender while Gary Kirsten, Tom Moody, Paul Collingwood and Simon Katich are also reportedly in the mix.

These are major decisions for Key as England desperately eye a turnaround in what has been a rather feeble recent Test chapter.

As he has many times at the crease, Ben Stokes might just be able to come to England’s rescue once again.