"I’ve never really had ambition to be captain" - Ben Stokes throws his weight behind Joe Root
England all-rounder Ben Stokes has clarified he has no ambition of becoming Test captain and threw his weight behind Joe Root. Stokes also asserted the entire team stands by skipper Root and coach Chris Silverwood despite the Ashes defeat.
Root, who succeeded Alastair Cook as Test captain, could be coming to the end of his tenure as skipper following another disappointing Ashes. Although he has performed commendably with the bat, Root has been average as captain.
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However, Stokes has left it to Root to decide his captaincy future.
"I’ve said I’ve never really had the ambition to be a captain. That’s totally Joe’s decision. He shouldn’t be forced into doing it. I’m sure Cooky felt the same way. He did it for so long. When he knew his time was up, his time was up. Those discussions haven’t even entered anywhere near Joe yet. At the end of the day, the most important people’s opinions are those of the guys in the dressing room and Root and Silverwood have our thorough support," Stokes told The Guardian.
Root has lost three Ashes series as captain.
"Joe Root is someone I always want to play for" - Ben Stokes
Stokes believes Silverwood and Root alone cannot be blamed for the Ashes debacle, saying:
"Captaincy is more than about setting fields, picking the team, making decisions out in the middle. A captain is someone you play for. Joe Root is someone I always want to play for. Chris Silverwood is exactly the same. He’s a real players’ coach. He stands up for you as individuals and players as well. Obviously this series hasn’t gone too well. Not from a captaincy point of view but from a team and results point of view. Unfortunately, the captain and coach bear the scrutiny for that but there are 10 other guys out there in the field beside the captain."
The fourth Ashes Test begins in Sydney on Wednesday.