Stokes is England Test captain

All-rounder Ben Stokes has been appointed as the captain of England’s Test team, less than a fortnight after Joe Root stepped down as captain.

With England’s Ashes rout and the 2-1 series loss to West Indies in the Caribbean, there is immense pressure on Stokes to effect the team’s turnaround in Test matches.

Stokes left the game for the best part of a year to focus on his mental health, but he says he is now ready to embrace the new challenge.

“There is always a negative feeling around mental health but I took my break, I went and spoke with someone, and will continue to do that. I see it as a positive that me being in this role now, having gone through what I went through last summer and even before that, I have a huge amount of experience at what life can throw at you,” Stokes said.

He declared: “Test cricket is my No. 1 priority.”