"I am never trying to be Andrew Flintoff or Sir Ian Botham" - England Test captain Ben Stokes
England's new Test captain Ben Stokes recently stated that the pressure of his new leadership position will not have an impact on his individual performances as an all-rounder.
The talismanic all-rounder suggested that the media highlighting concerns about his captaincy could take a toll on his game, considering the performances of ex-England all-rounders Andrew Flintoff and Sri Ian Botham during their respective captaincy stints.
Stokes mentioned how people have compared him to the likes of Andrew Flintoff and Sir Ian Botham for several years now. However, he has made it clear that he has never tried to be like the two cricketing greats.
While speaking on Sky Sports, Ben Stokes said:
"The people who write that stuff are taking that from other people who have done the role. I've had to live with the tag of Andrew Flintoff and Sir Ian Botham since I was 18. But I've always maintained that I am never trying to be Flintoff or Botham. I'm Ben Stokes."
It is worth mentioning that Botham was appointed as England's Test captain in 1980. The 66-year-old's tenure proved to be a failure as he led the side in 12 matches but failed to win a single game. Flintoff, on the other hand, managed two wins from 11 matches while being at the helm of the red-ball team.
Speaking about workload management, Stokes highlighted that things aren't going to change much as he is expected to play the same amount of cricket. He added that he is hopeful of turning things around as the skipper after the team's recent underwhelming performances in the purest format.
Stokes explained:
"The workload is not going to increase because I'll still be playing the same amount of cricket. What's at the top of my priority list is the Test team and Test cricket going forward. There will be conversations to have with the likes of Rob and Eoin Morgan."
"There is some potential time to have some time off and get ready. I know I've got a huge role here in getting this Test team back to winning ways. I'll be putting all of my effort and energy into doing that."
Ben Stokes was named England's full-time Test captain on April 28. His appointment came after Joe Root stepped down from the role following the Poms' series defeat against West Indies in April.
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"It's not exactly a role that you can turn down" - Ben Stokes on England's Test captaincy
The 30-year-old revealed it didn't take him much time to accept the captaincy offer. He pointed out that it's a position that one cannot turn down. Stokes also stated there are a lot of things that come along with the leadership role. He explained:
"It didn't take long. Obviously, you need to give it some kind of consideration because it's not a role where you can just go, 'Yes.' Because you've got to think about everything else that comes with the job. It didn't take very long and it's not exactly a role that you can turn down."
Ben Stokes previously led England to a stunning 3-0 ODI series victory against Pakistan last year. His first and only game as a stand-in Test captain came in 2020 against the West Indies. England suffered a four-wicket loss in that particular fixture.
England are currently languishing at the bottom of the WTC 2021-2023 points table. They have just a solitary win to their name from 13 games and have a PCT of 12.5.