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Recently relieved from England's Test captaincy Joe Root reacted on Ben Stokes' appointment to spearhead the English side in the longest format of the game. Root asserted that he will always be there with the newly appointed skipper Stokes throughout his journey.
On Thursday the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) appointed star all-rounder Stokes as the new captain of England's Test team which made the 30-year-old the 81st skipper of the English Test side. Stokes' first assignment as the Test captain would be a two-match home series against New Zealand in June.
Right after being given the new role to lead the team in Tests Stokes thanked Root for his contributions to English cricket. He also mentioned that Root has played a big role in his development as a leader and said that Joe Root will always remain a key ally. He said: “I am honoured to be given the chance to lead the England Test team. This is a real privilege, and I’m excited about getting started this summer. I want to thank Joe for everything he has done for English Cricket and for always being a great ambassador for the sport all across the world. He has been a massive part of my development as a leader in the dressing room, and he will continue to be a key ally for me in this role.“
Meanwhile, Root took to Twitter to post a picture with Ben Stokes and asserted that they have always got each other’s backs.
“Always got each other’s backs. Congratulations mate, I’ll be right with you every step of the way,” Root tweeted.
Meanwhile, former India coach Ravi Shastri has predicted that now that Ben Stokes has been officially named the new England Test captain, the adrenaline of the leadership post might elevate him into greatness.
“The adrenaline of captaincy – not that he needs it – could fire Stokes up to be something even more than the incredible player he is now. The important relationship is with the captain – the moment there is friction, things go downhill. But they will be fine because the England I saw last year, they have enough talent and skill to compete. There’s no doubt about that in my mind. It’s all about their mindset,” Shastri said.
