England’s torrid Test tour of India finally ended with a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of the Virat Kohli’s side. The Rajkot Test was the only Test where the English looked fiercely competitive and then fell apart as it happens so often in a long Test series.
Undoubtedly, numerous questions were asked of Alastair Cook’s captaincy and the selection blunders he made, one of them being the inclusion of four seamers on a square turner in Mumbai. Even Cook’s press conferences after the series loss clearly indicated that he might be stepping down as the leader of the pack, though he later revealed that he will not be rushing into the decision.
This gives us an opportunity to look at the five probable replacements of Alastair Cook as England Test captain.
#1 Joe Root
Joe Root looks set to become the successor of Cook as he is highly rated by the England captain himself. Cook even went on to claim in one of his press conferences that Root is ready to captain his side.
Root’s consideration for the position of captain has not been sudden as he has been looked upon as an exciting prospect for England since his debut in 2012. During the tour of India, he was seen leading the team whenever Cook was off the field, albeit for a brief period.
Also Read: 5 reasons why Joe Root should be given the England captaincy
Root is young and his average of 52.80 in Tests highly speaks of his talent. Even during the tough tours of India and Bangladesh, he showed maturity and scored runs against some of the best bowlers and eventually was the highest run-getter of the series for England against India.
With age on his side and the backing of coach and Cook, Root looks the most promising candidate for the position at the moment.
#2 Jonny Bairstow
One of the very few bright spots for England Test cricket this year has been the emergence of Jonny Bairstow. The wicket-keeper batsman has worked on his batting skills along with his stance which is evident with the number of runs he has scored in 2016.
In the process, Bairstow also broke a 16 year old record of Andy Flower to score more Test runs as a wicket-keeper in a calendar year. His improved glove work behind the stumps and his naturally aggressive batting bagged him the honourable white jersey ahead of the likes of Jos Buttler.
Though he could not reach the three-figure mark in any of the five tests against India, Bairstow contributed with a sizeable score to the team’s total more often than not. His crucial partnerships with Stokes were one of the reasons for England to score around 400 during the series. Bairstow was even instrumental in setting the fields for a particular batsman and assisted Cook in taking important decisions over DRS.
Bairstow looks set for a long stint as a wicket-keeper batsman for England and it should not be a surprising move if the baton is handed over to him in future.
#3 Stuart Broad
Stuart Broad, the most experienced player after Anderson and Cook in current England Test team, could also be considered to lead the national side if the selectors decide to go with experience.
Broad is not new to the role as he was the captain of England’s T20 side for a considerable period of time only to be sacked after dismal performances in the 2012 and 2014 World T20s which were held in subcontinent. But he remains the vital cog of the side red ball cricket.
The tall Englishman has always been a go-to bowler for his captain when the chips are down and more often than not has delivered.
His experience and performances in the longest format can never be discounted and hence could be a great asset if he is selected as the England captain.
#4 Ben Stokes
Ben Stokes, an all-rounder, who has played Test cricket now for almost 3 years, is the next exciting prospect to lead the side. Stokes has emerged as one of the most improved cricketers for England in 2016. Most importantly, he stayed fit and was injury-free which meant that he played a vast majority of the matches this year. Stokes, along with Bairstow, was influential in England’s performances at home as well as away.
His double century against the Proteas in Cape Town was the second fastest in Test cricket, and he was also amongst the leading wicket takers for his side this year. Stokes has proved that he is more than a bits and pieces player and is here to stay as a proper all-rounder.
It might not be a good idea to give him an added responsibility of captaincy, but given his potential and aggression the probability of happening that cannot be discarded.
#5 Moeen Ali
Moeen Ali has turned into a capable all-rounder for England, but is the least likely candidate for the coveted role in this list. He has improved his off-spin bowling a lot under Saqlain Mushtaq who was hired by ECB for a limited period of time.
Ali has always been an unsung hero for England. He has batted in every position till No.8 in Tests and has shown his temperament and skills to be a spinning all-rounder for his country. He has also played as the main and only spinner in the side in English conditions while batting lower down the order.
Even on the tours of India and Bangladesh, the Englishman showed prowess with the bat and ball. He also scored couple of centuries while batting in the top order which showcased his maturity as a batsman.
Ali’s overall contribution and influence in the English Test team might urge the selectors to make him the successor of Alastair Cook.
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