Ben Stokes has stated his desire to become England's head coach in the future, while also expressing concerns about the potential toll that captaincy could take on Joe Root.
Stokes, who previously captained England in 65 Test matches between 2017 and 2022, stepping down after a period that saw the team win just one of their previous 17 matches including an Ashes defeat in Australia, indicated his willingness to take on a coaching role with the national team down the line. During his captaincy, England also navigated COVID-19 restrictions, a factor to which Root attributed the job taking a toll on his health.
Root will now work with new England Test coach Stephen Fleming, the former New Zealand captain. Stokes shared his well wishes for Root in his new role, acknowledging Root's past experiences as captain. "I told Joe, I said my only worry is just you. And that's all I really care about now, just because I have seen what he went through and how much he put himself through for someone," Stokes said. "He's just always put the team first - he always comes second. And that's just my only concern with it, is just obviously knowing what he went through last time he was in charge of the team. I don't want to see that ever happen again because I care for Joe a lot, but I wish him all the success in the world."
Stokes' tenure as captain saw him lead England to a record 27 Test wins. He acknowledged Fleming as a "great man" and expressed confidence that Root would enjoy working with him. "I'm sure he's going to do great. So I'm looking forward to seeing what the team does going forward," Stokes added.