"Test captaincy in England is currently a lottery" - Ian Chappell claims Australian system produces superior leaders
Former Australian captain Ian Chappell feels that Ben Stokes aside, England's Test captaincy is currently a lottery system, given the lack of viable candidates.
Chappell also noted that the Australian system produces better leaders, citing Pat Cummins' progress as Test captain.
Stokes, who succeeded Joe Root as England's Test captain, has done a remarkable job with the side.
Since becoming the full-time Test skipper, the 30-year-old all-rounder has lost only one out of seven matches and urged them to play more aggressively.
Chappell wrote in his column for ESPN Cricinfo:
"Apart from Stokes, Test captaincy in England is currently a lottery because of the lack of candidates. However, the Australian system still generally produces acceptable leaders, with Pat Cummins being the prime exhibit in the case of outstanding captains."
The South Australian reflected on England's Ashes campaign in Australia last year, stating that injuries played a significant role in their 0-4 defeat. Chappell claimed that James Anderson and Stuart Broad were not the bowlers for the Australian decks.
"England were certainly unlucky in Australia because they were deprived of some first-choice fast bowlers through injury. However, it's patently clear that selecting the ageing Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad in the same team anywhere but in England is a mistake. It's acceptable, but not ideal, to select a right-arm seam attack in England because it can suit the pitch and surrounding conditions."
While the English team competed well in Australia, their batting performance was a significant reason behind their series loss. Although Mark Wood was England's highest wicket-taker in the series, Broad and Anderson also shared 21 scalps between them in six Tests, with the former taking 13.
"It's not surprising that their results have greatly improved following their disastrous tour of Australia" - Ian Chappell
The 78-year-old further opined that England have struck the right chord by replacing Root with Stokes and that picking the right combination is key to winning in overseas conditions. Chappell added:
"Now England have the right captain in place, it becomes a matter of choosing the best combination to win in the prevailing conditions. It's not surprising that their results have greatly improved following their disastrous tour of Australia. Their recent games have been in the more comfortable environment of home, and they replaced Root's dubious leadership with the enterprising captaincy of charismatic allrounder Stokes."
Six wins in seven Tests for our Men's team this summer. https://t.co/xdNRVpPjfQ
England had a highly successful home summer this year, registering series wins against New Zealand and South Africa. They also beat India in the one-off Test at Edgbaston. However, Stokes and Co. will face a litmus test in Pakistan when they tour Pakistan in December.