Published on: Jun 30, 2026 4:04 pm IST|Updated on: Jun 30, 2026 4:04 pm IST
Ben Stokes sent shockwaves around the cricket-frenzy nations when he announced his international retirement from the game during the final test against New Zealand. England’s ‘Bazball’ era was shaped by Stokes, whose partnership with head coach Brendon McCullum drew constant attention.
After hanging up his boots, the England Cricket Board has a task at hand. They need to find their next leader in red-ball cricket who could take the team forward. In this post, we have shortlisted three names who could step into Ben Stokes’ vacant boots and lead the English side in Test match cricket. Let’s take a look.
The English white-ball skipper Harry Brook is among the automatic choices to lead England in Test cricket. Harry has been backed by his former skipper Ben Stokes to lead the side in the future. Talking about Harry, Stokes quoted,
“He’s someone who’s obviously an incredible player, one of the more senior players in this group, but we all know he’s a phenomenally talented individual when it comes to his skills as a batter. And if you love a bit more responsibility on the shoulders with this team, we don’t know if that’s going to show any more improvement in the skills that he’s already got. Only time will tell, but you don’t ask someone to be vice captain if you don’t think that they’ve got the skills and the ability to be able to captain the team when they need to. So if I was to be asked who I think should do it, I’m throwing my 100% support behind Harry Brook.”
Ever since taking the white-ball reins from Jos Buttler, Harry Brook has become one of the core members of the senior group. Having led England in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 semifinals, Harry has all the potential to lead the side in red ball as well. His demeanor of someone who carried a cool and calm head on his shoulders makes him an apt choice for England’s next Test captain.
The next name on this list is England’s Test opener, Ben Duckett. The 31-year-old left-hander from Kent has now played 46 Test matches for England and is considered one of their finest opening batters in recent times. Duckett hasn’t led England in the past, nor has he been a skipper in franchise leagues around the world, but the talent that he possesses is enough to make the selectors think about him as a potential candidate for captaincy.
As of now, there are no rumors making rounds about him being the next English Test skipper, but you never know when opportunity comes knocking on your door. If it does, Duckett should be ready for a broader role in his cricketing career.
The former England skipper Joe Root also makes this list. The veteran 35-year-old right-hand batter is undeniably England’s best batter ever in the longest format of the game. With 14,114 runs in 166 Test matches, Root has been England’s batting stalwart for years now.
Root isn’t new to captaincy, as he has led the English side in the past across formats. In fact, Ben Stokes took England’s Test captaincy reins from Root, with the veteran batter leading the team sporadically in the format during Stokes’ and the then vice-captain Ollie Pope’s absence. Most recently, Root led England during the second Test against New Zealand when Stokes was dropped from the squad over the nightclub incident.
For now, the England Cricket Board (ECB) is seeking someone who leads the team for a longer period, and with age not being Root’s ally, the 35-year-old may not be the straight-up choice to lead the side. However, Root leading the side sporadically during the absence of the captain and vice-captain still remains an option for the team management and board.