Ben Stokes To Captain England For The First Time Against West Indies
Ben Stokes is preparing to captain England for the first time after the team management resigned themselves to being without Joe Root for tour hồ ba bể next week's first Test against West Indies.
Root's wife, Carrie, is due to give birth to their second child, and has been booked in for a C-section in Sheffield over the next few days.
But with [/news/coronavirus/index.html Covid-19] protocols dictating that Root would have to self-isolate for a week even after leaving hospital, his chances of walking out at [/sport/teampages/southampton.html Southampton]'s Ageas Bowl on July 8 are remote.
His absence will end an unbroken sequence of 77 Tests since he returned to the team in 2014 following his dropping at Sydney in January that year.
Only Alastair Cook, who played a world-record 159 in a row, has appeared in more consecutive Tests for England.
Ben Stokes is set to replace the absent Joe Root as captain in the first Test with West Indies
That means Stokes, less than two years after he was acquitted on charges of affray at Bristol Crown Court, will finally lead his country, despite never having captained any team more prominent than the Durham academy in 2008.
And he will do so with the endorsement of England's senior players.
'Ben will be absolutely fine,' said fast bowler Stuart Broad.
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'He has got a really good cricket brain, and has grown and matured incredibly over the last three or four years.
To come in and captain one game, I think he'll find that very easy.
'He's taking over Rooty's team to make on-field decisions, kynghidongduong.vn so I don't think he'll struggle in any aspects.'
'One thing we have to encourage him as other players is to make sure he uses his own ability as well.
Root is set to be at the birth of his second child in the coming days and will have to isolate
Root's absence means that Stokes will step in his place and captain England for the first time
'Captains can be quite shy of bringing themselves on to bowl.
But we just need to him encourage him: 'Actually Stokesy, now's your time to come on with the ball and make an impact.'
'I've got no doubts he will be brilliant at captaining England.'
Root is expected to be ready to resume his leadership for the second Test at Emirates Old Trafford starting on July 16.
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