Ashes 2021: Ben Stokes as Test captain? – England cricket is in crisis. Maybe the white-ball teams are doing well but the disastrous performances of the Test team have drawn ire. Michael Atherton is the latest to call for a captaincy change as Joe Root has led England to 9th loss in 2021 in 15 matches including battering in the Ashes.
In fact, under Joe Root, England have lost three Ashes series and are on the brink of losing to India when the rescheduled 5th Test is played from July 1, 2022. Apart from that, England lost to New Zealand at home and were embarrassed in India. For the Ashes disaster, Atherton has singled out Root’s captaincy despite batting collapse.
Ashes 2021: Michael Atherton declares, ‘Joe Root must make way for Ben Stokes as Test captain’
“There have been so many errors here, from selection to strategy, that the captain has to bear personal responsibility. This could have been a much closer series had Root got things right on the field,” Michael Atherton wrote in The Times.
Joe Root is the most successful England Test captain with a winning percentage of 45.76, better than Alaister Cook, who won two Ashes series. However, with Root struggling, Atherton wants him out and replace him with Ben Stokes.
“Root has been a good England captain, and has always carried himself superbly and is an incredible ambassador for the sport, but having done the job for five years and having had three cracks at the Ashes, including two awful campaigns in Australia, it is time for someone else to have a go,” Michael Atherton said.
Ashes 2021: Michael Atherton declares, ‘Joe Root must make way for Ben Stokes as Test captain’
“Ben Stokes is a viable alternative, having done an excellent job as a stand-in briefly in the summer. His bowling is starting to wind down, and, as he may not get into England’s best T20 side now, he can be given a breather during those matches,” he added.
However, Michael Atherton isn’t the only former England cricketer to speak out against Joe Root. Geoffrey Boycott also slammed Root’s captaincy and wants him to step down.
Ashes 2021: Michael Atherton declares, ‘Joe Root must make way for Ben Stokes as Test captain’
Chris Silverwood loses confidence: England’s head coach, who also oversees team selection, Chris Silverwood is also on the firing line. Michael Atherton questioned his team selection and said he should not survive the Ashes disaster.
‘At the moment there seems to be an absence of authority and an unwillingness to challenge the players. There is no way Silverwood will (or should) survive the Ashes, which should allow a reorganisation of the coaching and selecting responsibilities,” Atherton said.
| Player | Country | Span | Mat | Won | Lost | Tied | Draw | W% |
| Graeme Smith | South Africa | 2003-14 | 109 | 53 | 29 | 0 | 27 | 48.62 |
| Alan Border | Australia | 1984-94 | 93 | 32 | 22 | 1 | 38 | 34.4 |
| Stephen Fleming | New Zealand | 1997-2006 | 80 | 28 | 27 | 0 | 25 | 35 |
| Ricky Ponting | Australia | 2004-10 | 77 | 48 | 16 | 0 | 13 | 62.33 |
| Clive Lloyd | West Indies | 1974-85 | 74 | 36 | 12 | 0 | 26 | 48.64 |
| Virat Kohli | India | 2014-21 | 67 | 40 | 16 | 0 | 11 | 59.7 |
| MS Dhoni | India | 2008-14 | 60 | 27 | 18 | 0 | 15 | 45 |
| Alastair Cook | England | 2010-16 | 59 | 24 | 22 | 0 | 13 | 40.67 |
| Joe Root | England | 2017-21 | 59 | 27 | 24 | 0 | 8 | 45.76 |
| Steve Waugh | Australia | 1999-2004 | 57 | 41 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 71.92 |
Ashes 2021: Michael Atherton declares, ‘Joe Root must make way for Ben Stokes as Test captain’
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