Ben Stokes has said that he is determined to do all he can to get England’s Test team back to winning ways after he was appointed as the new permanent captain of the team. Stokes, who was vice-captain under Joe Root and led the earlier team on a few occasions in the absence of the latter, indicated that this may mean that he may choose to avoid playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) if needed.
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Stokes had opted out of the IPL this season, choosing to play County cricket after enduring a tough run with the England Test team. England have lost three out of the last four Test series they have played. The one series in which they did not lose was the incomplete five-Test rubber against India at home in which they trail 2-1.
He accepts turning England’s fortunes around will be tough.
“It is a challenge, especially after the last few years,” the Durham star told Sky Sports at the county’s Riverside Ground on Tuesday.
“There’s a lot that needs to change, not only on the field, and those discussions will be had.”
He insisted that when it comes to managing his workload – including balancing his role within the white-ball squad and opportunities at the IPL – “Test cricket is my No.1 priority”.
“It’s an exciting time for myself but it is a challenge, especially after how the last few years have been,” Stokes told Sky Sports News. “But for me, it’s not about focusing on what’s gone in the past. It’s all about focusing on what we’ve got going forward and obviously that starts now, and then starts [at Lord’s] on the second of June.”
There are fears that making Stokes — who last year took a break from cricket to “prioritise” his mental health — captain will over-burden a player already shouldering a huge workload.
And some observers have pointed to the unsuccessful reigns of Ian Botham and Andrew Flintoff as proof of the dangers of appointing a star all-rounder as England skipper.
Stokes, however, said: “I’ve had to deal with comparisons to Andrew Flintoff and Sir Ian Botham since I was 18 or 19. And I’ve always said I’m not trying to be either of them, I’m just Ben Stokes.”
