I would’ve picked Jos Buttler to lead England ahead of Ben Stokes: Kevin Pietersen

England all-rounder Ben Stokes will become the country’s 81st Test captain, when he leads the Three Lions against the West Indies in the 1st Test that begins on 8th July at Southampton. However, former captain Kevin Pietersen believes Jos Buttler would have been suited for the role.

Regular skipper Joe Root is attending the birth of his second child, leading to Ben Stokes’ appointment as skipper for the first Test. Joe Root will be returning for the remaining two Tests in the series in Old Trafford which will also be played in bio-secure environment like the first Test.

“I wouldn't have picked Ben Stokes to stand in for Joe Root as captain, I would have picked Jos Buttler,” Kevin Pietersen was quoted as saying by Betway.com.

“Ben Stokes is the type of player that I was discussing earlier – he loves the crowd, and he's a proven performer in testing conditions with a lot of energy around him. These will be testing conditions, but there will be no energy at all. That's something that the players will have to generate for themselves. He's also the best player on the team. Is the best player always the best choice as captain? I'm not so sure,” the former England captain added.

Ben Stokes is a proven performer for England

Ben Stokes has turned out in 63 Tests for England so far. He averages 36.54 with the bat with nine Test tons and has 147 wickets at an average of 32.68.

Kevin Pietersen, who played 104 Tests for England, also said it will become difficult for players with every passing day to live in the bio-secure environment provided by the England Cricket Board (ECB).

The 40-year-old believes that it would be hard for the players commuting between match venue and the hotels, day in and day out.

“I'm actually very glad I'm not a player this summer -- I don't think I would have been able to deal with it. Players usually have their families, their agents, and their sponsors. They can get out and play golf. There is always something going on,” he added.

The South Africa-born England batsman felt that it was important for cricketers to relax between games by engaging in other activities like playing golf.

“It's so important to be able to get away from the game because of the stresses and strains that it places on your mind and body.

“The novelty of this situation might exist for the first Test match or two, but being stuck with each other in a hotel is going to be quite testing by the end of the month. I wouldn't have been able to get my head around it,” Kevin Pietersen added.