March 8, 2025


Michael Atherton says England should weigh up the potential threat to their Ashes probabilities in the event that they hand Ben Stokes the captaincy in one-day worldwide cricket.

England males’s managing director Rob Key urged the Check skipper was a candidate to guide within the 50-over recreation following Jos Buttler’s resignation from each white-ball roles after the chastening group-stage exit on the Champions Trophy.

Stokes has remodeled England’s red-ball aspect alongside Brendon McCullum since 2022 when the pair took over a workforce that had gained one among their earlier 17 matches.

Nevertheless, the all-rounder has suffered two severe hamstring accidents of late, after a protracted interval coping with a power knee challenge, and Atherton is conscious of Stokes’ workload forward of an era-defining Check sequence in Australia from November.

Athers: England will not win Ashes with out Stokes as captain

Former England captain Atherton instructed Sky Sports activities Information: “There is no such thing as a doubting that Stokes is the excellent captain, the excellent chief, in English cricket.

“That is not the problem. The difficulty is round his health as he has had fairly extreme hamstring accidents and struggled to get by way of the cricket he has been requested to play.

“In the long run, the Key-McCullum-Stokes challenge goes to be outlined by the ten Exams this 12 months – 5 in opposition to India at dwelling after which the Ashes away.

England's Ben Stokes, ODI cricket (Associated Press)
Picture:
Stokes has not performed ODI cricket because the 2023 World Cup and was not thought-about for the Champions Trophy as a consequence of a hamstring damage

“A number of the buildings they’ve put in place have been designed to get that aspect proper for the Ashes so that’s the query.

“It is what you might be shedding if he will get injured and may’t captain in opposition to India and Australia as a result of with out Stokes captaining in Australia, I do not suppose England will win.”

Key: Stokes one among greatest captains I’ve ever seen

Talking earlier this week, Key instructed reporters: “I believe nothing’s off the desk [in terms of the England captaincy]. You take a look at each single possibility and also you suppose, ‘what’s the smartest thing to do?’

“Ben Stokes is likely one of the greatest captains I’ve ever seen, so it would be silly not to take a look at him. It is simply the knock-on impact of what meaning.

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Rob Key says England’s gamers typically ‘discuss garbage’ to the media

“He is an unbelievably good tactician, which we have seen in Check cricket, however he is a pacesetter of males. He is somebody who will get the perfect out of individuals.

“He is somebody that, when the stress is absolutely on, he is capable of throw a blanket across the gamers and truly say, ‘no, no, that is the way in which ahead. Hold going with it’.

“We do not need to threat different issues as properly. However there’s all the time a manner in England, I believe, the place you begin taking a look at, ‘what if it goes flawed?’

“You’ve got additionally bought to suppose, ‘what if it goes proper?’. They’re the choices that I’ve to make.”

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