Do all-rounders make good Test captains?

The news that Joe Root has stepped down as England men's Test captain has prompted speculation that talismanic all-rounder Ben Stokes, will be his successor given he is already the vice-captain and seemingly the most natural choice.

But is he the right man? Is an all-rounder too much pressure and work for a skipper? Stokes has spent time out of the game, is injury-prone and needed with both bat and ball. He is someone that a failing team are heavily reliant upon to score runs and be the difference.

When choosing a captain, it is usually batsmen such as Root or Andrew Strauss because of the supposed longevity of their careers, the susceptibility of bowlers especially fast bowlers to injury and the fact that bowlers must bowl as well as captain.

This increased the surprise when Australia chose Pat Cummins as their captain even though he is their supreme fast bowler and therefore has a heavy workload to complete. However, the picking of all-rounders is also a rarity because of the lower levels of success and like fast bowlers, the reticence to pile even more pressure and tasks onto their schedule in a Test match day.

If Stokes got the nod, he would be added to a surprisingly short-list of all-rounders to lead out a Test team. But it's not a particularly successful path to tread as Planet Sport finds out.

The late Ray Illingworth captained from 1969 to 1973, and it's argued his time as leader was where he proved his worth to the team.

Former England captain Ray Illingworth has passed away at the age of 89.

Illingworth played in 61 Tests for England from 1958 to 1973, taking 122 wickets and hitting two centuries. pic.twitter.com/DvvCU6KkW7

He succeeded Colin Cowdrey and captained England 31 times, winning 12, drawing 14 and