Joe Root steps down as England captain.

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

Interested to see who he is replaced by.

[weecounty hibby]

The right decision, I don't think he was a very good captain. What England need is a captain who isn't necessarily the best player but is good tactically and can make changes when things aren't going well and also makes his own decisions. Sonetimes with Root it wasn't clear who captain was and it was almost by committee at times. No idea who that captain would be though

[stantonhibby]

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Interested to see who he is replaced by.

Not many other guaranteed starters other than Stokes. Eoin Morgan not good enough for the test team?

[Mibbes Aye]

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Not many other guaranteed starters other than Stokes. Eoin Morgan not good enough for the test team?

Morgan hasn't played Test cricket for a decade or so. He still plays a bit of county, but his batting average with the red ball is in the low thirties. I do think he is a good captain in limited overs cricket, but to an extent that has involved sucvessfully managing a surfeit of talent, particularly at bat, that isn't here at Test level.

In a different universe, Broad would be a reasonable shout - he's got tons of experience, a will to win, and still a few years in the tank. In terms of the team dynamic it would be a train wreck, albeit a hugely entertaining train wreck. He also fields in the deep, which is no use for a red ball captain. The same criticism could be levied at Stokes but you could see Stokes moving to the slips or short leg relatively easily.

There is an argument for Buttler despite his torrid Ashes. He is an accomplished tactician, probably second only to Morgan, but do England really want to take the wicketkeeping gloves from Foakes after only three Tests and with an English summer approaching, where he should be at his best? Bringing in Buttler solely as bat means changing the line-up as well and there isn't a space in the middle order.

I did wonder about Bairstow but I can't say I know enough about his leadership qualities. Sam Billings would be an intriguing pick and neatly solve a number of issues, but there has to be a question about his experience and appetite for Test cricket.

So, Stokes is the likely bet, but it puts a lot on someone trying to juggle playing several formats as well as dealing with his mental health concerns in the spotlight. Maybe Stokes, with Billings lined up is an option. It would be harsh on Foakes though.