Ben Stokes has questioned the decision not to appoint Harry Brook as his successor as England Test captain – and revealed that he hopes to coach his country one day.
The all-rounder announced his retirement from international cricket during the third Test against New Zealand last month after four years as skipper of the side.
Brook, who already leads England in white-ball cricket, had served as Stokes’s vice-captain since the start of the Ashes in the winter, but has been overlooked for the top job with Joe Root instead reappointed for a second stint.
Rob Key, England’s managing director of men’s cricket, declared last week that it was “too soon” for Brook to take on the duties – with Root also captaining the second Test against New Zealand ahead of his fellow Yorkshireman when Stokes was stood down for disciplinary reasons.
Stokes had backed his deputy for the permanent Test role in the immediacy of his retirement and admitted he is still not sure why Brook has not been appointed.
“If you think someone is going to be a good captain or a good leader, just give it to them,” Stokes said on the For the Love of Cricket podcast. “Brooky was made vice-captain – I’m not there any more, but even when I missed that Test match, I was like, ‘he’s vice captain?’ I sort of understood the reasoning why they were saying it, but what message is that sending to him?
“He’s vice-captain, and the captain is not playing, but he’s not captain. And then the same again here.”
Root will work with a new coach in Stephen Fleming after Brendon McCullum’s departure in the aftermath of Stokes’s retirement, and his predecessor has wished him success in the role.
“I wish him [Root] nothing but success. I hope he goes on and achieves amazing things in his role as captain and I think he’s going to really enjoy it with Flem [Fleming]. He’s a great man,” said Stokes.
“I’ve worked with Flem before but I told Joe, I said my only worry is just you. And that’s all I really care about now, just because I have seen what he went through and how much he put himself through for someone.
“He’s just always put the team first – he always comes second. And that’s just my only concern with it, is just obviously knowing what he went through last time he was in charge of the team. I don’t want to see that ever happen again because I care for Joe a lot, but I wish him all the success in the world.
“I’m sure he’s going to do great. So I’m looking forward to seeing what the team does going forward.”
Insisting again that he will have more to say on his retirement “when the time is right”, Stokes revealed that he had originally hoped to continue until next year’s Ashes against Australia before reaching the decision that the New Zealand series would be his last as Test cricketer.
Seemingly again ruling out the prospect of a return for the Tests against Australia in 2027, the 35-year-old expressed his desire to one day coach his country having already assisted at training camps with the second-string England Lions.
“I know what I want to do in terms of staying in the game, which is to be a coach,” Stokes explained. “Would I love to be coach of England one day? Absolutely. I’d love to be able to do that.
“Do I think it is going to happen? I don’t know. No idea. I just really like the idea of being in some form of leadership away from playing.”
Stokes also admitted that he had not considered relinquishing the captaincy but continuing his playing career.
“I never once thought, ‘I’m just going to give it up and just keep going as a player’. I’m 35. If I’m not going to be captain, I think I’d find it tough to do it. I was very comfortable retiring from playing and not thinking about playing for England.”
England are due to name a Test squad this week ahead of the Pakistan series later in August.
