‘Give me 100% support’: Ben Stokes names Harry Brook as preferred successor for captaincy | Cricket News
Ben Stokes threw his full support behind it Harry Brook as his preferred successor to lead the England Test team after his retirement from international cricket. Brook, who currently captains England in ODIs and T20Is, has served as Stokes’ vice-captain in the Test set-up and is widely regarded as the frontrunner to take the role permanently.Interestingly, when Stokes was unavailable for the second Test against New Zealand, the England management opted for the former captain. Joe Root to lead the side instead of Brook. However, Stokes made it clear he had no involvement in that decision and reiterated his belief that Brook is the natural choice to succeed.“There is a reason why he was asked to be vice-captain of this team, I know with all the controversy over the last two weeks, there were some decisions that were made, but those were decisions that I was not part of making,” Stokes said after England’s defeat in their farewell Test.
Harry Brook should be natural successor
The 35-year-old explained that Brook’s promotion will follow the traditional leadership path in the team.“You ask to be vice-captain of a team for a reason, I was vice-captain under Joe for a long time, and it’s a natural progression. If the captain is not there or not available, then you have a step to do that. So there is absolutely no reason why Harry should not be asked to do it,” added Stokes.Stokes also highlighted Brook’s growing influence in the dressing room, backing the Yorkshire batsman to thrive in the role.“He is someone who is obviously an incredible player and one of the most senior players in this group. Only time will tell you, but don’t ask someone to be vice-captain if you don’t think they have the skills and ability to captain the team when they need it. If I was asked who I think should do it, I would throw my support 100% Harry Brook concluded.Brook was officially appointed England’s white-ball captain in April 2025 following Jos Buttler’s resignation and recently led the side during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Harry Brook has established himself as a generational superstar in Test cricket, currently holding the world No. 2 in the ICC Test Batting Rankings just behind teammate Joe Root.
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