Ben Stokes should lead England's Test team, say former captains

England captains Michael Vaughan and Nasser Hussain have thrown their support behind all-rounder Ben Stokes to become the team's Test captain after Joe Root stepped down. Bookmakers and Hussain say bowler Stuart Broad is the second favourite to replace Root. Root ended his five-year tenure as the Test skipper on Friday, saying the job had taken a heavy toll on him recently after dispiriting tours of Australia and the Caribbean capped a string of poor results.

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Root's decision comes after the 1-0 Test series defeat to West Indies last month, and the 4-0 Ashes loss to Australia. "After returning from the Caribbean tour and having time to reflect, I have decided to step down as England men's Test captain," Root said.

Stokes, who was Root's deputy, is best placed to take over but would need support from a "senior core", Vaughan said. "I don't see anyone else who could take the position and be guaranteed of their place in the side," Vaughan told the BBC. "In Ben Stokes, you have clearly got someone who has got a smart cricket brain, he's going to give it everything, he is certainly going to have the respect of the players around him." Former skipper Michael Atherton also backed Stokes, saying he was the "obvious" replacement for Root. Stokes took an indefinite break from cricket in July to focus on his mental health while also recovering from a second operation on a broken finger, but returned to the England squad for the Ashes series.

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England all-rounder Ben Stokes is on course to return to action in the County Championship next month following a scan on a left knee problem he struggled with during