England captain Joe Root is facing the heat from all corners after his side’s 1-0 defeat in the recently-concluded Test series against West Indies. After the first two Tests of the series ended in a draw, West Indies thrashed England by ten wickets in the final third encounter to clinch the series 1-0.
Kyle Mayers delivered a stellar performance with the ball as he bagged a five-wicket haul to run through the England batting line-up in their second innings and bundle them out for a paltry 120. West Indies chased down the target of 29 runs without breaking a sweat and won the Test match comprehensively to claim the series.
It was yet another disappointing performance from England in the longest format after their 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Australia in the Ashes 2021-22 earlier this year. Following England’s 1-0 loss to West Indies, there have been calls for Root’s sacking as the Test captain of the side.
The likes of former England captain Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton among others want Root to step down from his post and make way for a fresh change in the leadership role. Here we take a look at three England stars who can replace Root as the next Test captain of the team:
1) Ben Stokes
Ben Stokes is seen as the leading contender to replace Joe Root as the new Test captain of England. One of the best all-rounders in the world at present, Stokes has been remarkably consistent for the side across formats over the last few years. The star all-rounder led an inexperienced and young England side in an ODI series against Pakistan last year and inspired the side to a 2-1 win.
Stokes is one of the most experienced players in the current England Test squad with 79 matches to his name. Stokes has amassed over 5,000 runs and scalped 174 wickets in his Test career so far and can be an ideal candidate to lead the team going forward.
2) Jos Buttler
Jos Buttler might not have been a regular for England in Tests recently but is part of the team’s leadership group across formats. Buttler is one of the best attacking batters as far as white-ball cricket is concerned but is also equally good in red-ball cricket. He is also one of the senior-most members in the England Test squad and can be handed over the responsibility to lead the team in the longest format.
Buttler, who was dropped from the squad for the West Indies Test series, has played 57 Tests in his career so far. He has amassed 2907 runs at an average of over 31 in the longest format.
Also Read: Updated World Test Championship points table after West Indies seal Test series 1-0 vs England
3) Jonny Bairstow
England’s Test side has been undergoing a transition for quite a while now with no set openers and a lack of firepower in the middle-order. Despite England’s struggles in the whites, Jonny Bairstow has been one of the better performers for the team.
A technically sound batter who has been equally good across all formats, Bairstow has already played 83 Tests for his country and has amassed 4801 runs at an average of over 34, including 8 hundreds and 22 fifties. He can also be one of the contenders to take over captaincy if Root is sacked from his position in Tests.
