Stokes has come full circle by taking the captaincy – Strauss
BEN STOKES will complete a remarkable tale of redemption when he captains England against the West Indies next week, according to Sir Andrew Strauss.
The Durham all-rounder will lead his country into the first Test at the Ageas Bowl with Yorkshire’s Joe Root given leave to attend the birth of his second child.
Stokes’s international career was on the line when he was charged with, and later acquitted of, affray following an incident in Bristol in September 2017, but the heroics he performed on the pitch to help England win the World Cup and a remarkable contribution to last summer’s Ashes wrote a new chapter in his career.
Former England skipper Strauss said: “It will be a proud moment for him and really does mark the final post of an incredible redemption story. He deserves to be very proud of what he’s achieved and I’m sure he’ll love that moment.
“For the time being, it’s a sort of one-off thing, so his job is going to be to meet the demands of being England captain while still performing in all three roles that he performs in, which is a significant challenge.
“But we kind of know with Ben he’s going to be one of these leadfrom-the-front-type figures who will lead by example.”
England all-rounder Sam Curran has been placed in self-isolation and tested for Covid-19 after feeling unwell overnight.
Curran batted on the first evening of the intra-squad warmup match at the Ageas Bowl on Wednesday, making 15 not out, but experienced sickness and diarrhoea during the night.
In line with medical protocols he remained in his room at the on-site hotel yesterday.