Stokes ‘honoured’ to be England captain after Root departure

BEN STOKES says he is “honoured” to be handed England’s Test captaincy and has already made it clear that fast bowling greats James Anderson and Stuart Broad are part of his plans.

Stokes inherits the role from Joe

Root, who quit earlier this month after five years and a record 64 games in the job, and has been charged with reinvigorating the fortunes of a red-ball side that has managed just one victory in its last 17 attempts.

The 30-year-old all-rounder served as Root’s deputy, leading the side once before in 2020 to become England’s 81st Test skipper, and was the favourite to take charge as soon as the vacancy appeared.

Stokes, who became one of the country’s most celebrated athletes with his stunning performances in the 2019 World Cup and Ashes, has been a loyal lieutenant to Root and made a point of praising his friend and predecessor in a short statement.

“I am honoured to be given the chance to lead the England Test team. This is a real privilege and I’m excited about getting started this summer,” he said. “I want to thank Joe for everything he has done for English cricket and for always being a great ambassador for the sport all across the world. He has been a massive part of my development as a leader in the dressing room and he will continue to be a key ally for me in this role.”

AN independent review into allegations of racism within Scottish cricket has resulted in police involvement. An interim report revealed that disclosures in relation to racism had been passed on to independent lawyers or Police Scotland to investigate.