‘Let him give the job his all for a short period of time,’ Mike Atherton on Ben Stokes captaincy

Former England captain Michael Atherton says it would be a ‘mistake’ to consider Ben Stokes as a ‘long-term’ candidate for the England Test captaincy, as the demanding position ‘wears down’ even the hardest of personalities. On Thursday, Stokes was named England Test captain. The all-rounder took over for Joe Root, who had been in charge of England’s Test cricket for 64 Tests and had a lot of success until the recent defeats.

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“It would be a mistake to imagine Stokes as necessarily a long-term pick. Having seen the way the job wears down even the toughest and flintiest of characters, there is no need for the same to happen to Stokes,” Atherton, who has captained England in 54 Tests, wrote in his column for The Times.

Atherton believes Stokes should be asked to lead the team for a short time before stepping down while he still has something to offer as a player.

“Let him give the job his all for a short period of time, hoping to help transform attitudes and approach, and then step away while he has more to give as a player. The England captaincy, it was once said, is a coconut, not a crown. There will be plenty of people having a shy at it, no doubt, in the months to come but, to quote Key: ‘The time is right.’ Indeed it is,” he continued.

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The 30-year-old Stokes, who has scored over 5,000 runs and taken 174 wickets in 79 tests for England, described his appointment as an “honour.”

“This is a real privilege, and I’m excited about getting started this summer,” he added.

Stokes appreciated Root’s contribution to his growth as a leader in the England locker room.

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“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,” Stokes said of England’s batting stalwart.

“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.”