England Test Captain: Who Could Replace Joe Root?

England Test Captain: Dark clouds loom over Joe Root’s captaincy after England lost the Test series to West Indies. His miserable performance as captain has stirred a debate over the immediate change of leadership. Under his captaincy, England has managed to win only 1 Test out of 17 played in the last 14 months. Captain Root, however, is averse to relinquishing the captaincy and is confident about his team.

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Joe Root is one of the finest exponents of batting in the world and is in the form of his life. He amassed 1708 runs in 15 Tests in 2021 at a staggering average of 61. Thus, becoming the third-highest Test run-scorer in a calendar year after Mohammed Yusuf (1788) and Viv Richards (1710). He, however, has failed to transpire the same form in his captaincy. Root took over the reigns from Alastair Cook and has been the captain of the national side for over 5 years since. England has won (27) as well as lost (26) most matches under his captaincy, including the double series losses against Australia in the Ashes.

The clamor to remove him from the captaincy has been in the aisle for a long time but has now turned into an obvious voice. England’s loss in the series against West Indies intensified the calls. After the first two Tests were drawn, the West Indies rugged England in the decider in Grenada to win the series. Former England captains Michael Antherton, Naseer Hussain, and Michael Vaughan are among those who have called for removing Root from the said position. Cricket betting odds

England Test Captain: Who could be the next captain?

Although Root is adamant about his position, the echoes in the chamber for England’s new captain have now taken a course. But the concern is – who could be the next captain? Here are some players who could be the ideal candidate for the responsibility. For more cricket betting odds and match updates, read here.

Jos Buttler

England wicket-keeper Jos Buttler could be one of the choices for the captaincy. He has been in the national team for some time now and has represented England in 57 Tests. Buttler belongs to the new breed of England players who have the mettle to shine in both Tests as well as in the ODIs and T20Is. Though he has fewer games than his contemporary Jonny Bairstow, he could be the ideal guy to usher England into a new era of Test cricket.

James Anderson

James Anderson is an England Cricket legend and the epitome of swing bowling across the world. Though Jimmy is almost 40, he is still going strong at the moment. He is a match-winner and has been an ardent servant of the game. Jimmy has a humongous experience of playing 169 Test matches, only second to Sachin Tendulkar (200 Tests). He is the third-highest wicket-taker in Tests (640) and the first on the list of fast bowlers. Though Jimmy was not picked for the West Indies, he still has a lot to offer and can serve as an interim captain for a few Tests.

Jonny Bairstow

Another player from the new breed of England Cricket, Jonny Bairstow, is a wicket-keeper batsman and has represented England in 83 Tests. Bairstow has a good head over his shoulders and could be an ideal candidate for the job. His century in the first test against West Indies was pivotal in drawing the first test in Antigua. The onset of players like Bairstow and Buttler has revolutionized England cricket and his leadership can do the same with the Test team.

Stuart Broad

Another seasoned campaigner and an associate of James Anderson, Stuart Broad has played 152 tests for England and is not far behind Jimmy in the number of wickets (537). Broad too was not picked for the Test series in West Indies. However, he is still in the scheme of things. Broad is a capable all-rounder and has been an exemplary servant of the game. He understands the game well and despite approaching the end of his career, he could work well as a captain.

Ben Stokes

Perhaps the most ideal candidate of all. Ben Stokes is presently the best fast bowling all-rounder in the world. He has a good cricketing brain and it is reflected in the brief moments when he leads the team. He was impressive when led England in the home series against Pakistan last year following the COVID-19 outbreak.

The only concern has been his absence from cricket due to his lack of mental well-being and England will be wary of adding more loads when he returns. However, if he is fine and sound, Ben Stokes will be the ideal choice for the role. Stokes has played 79 Tests for England and has scored 5061 runs and picked up 174 wickets.

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