The hallmark of great teams is to have a long vision. This helps them to plan well for a long time while also doing well in the present. England Test Team is in good form right now under the leadership of Ben Stokes. However, this is not the time to be complacent. The management must actively groom a future captain so that the transition can happen smoothly when it does happen. On that note, here, we take a look at the list of two players who might be groomed as England’s future Test captain after Ben Stokes.
1) Ollie Pope
When he started out in his career, many felt that he would be the future skipper of England. However, Pope was not able to cement a spot in the playing XI. That said, under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes, he has been able to become the first-choice option at No.3 for England.
Recently, he was appointed as the full-time vice-captain of England. This itself is an indication that he would be one of the main options to replace Stokes in the future. Pope already has experience of leading England in a few warmup games. With Stokes struggling for fitness at times, Pope could soon get to captain the senior side.
2) Zak Crawley
Zak Crawley is one of the players who might be groomed as England’s future Test captain after Ben Stokes. Recently, he was named as the skipper of the England ODI side that will play the ODI series against Ireland. Crawley has been a consistent part of the Test setup, too, and hence, he will be a solid choice for the team in the future.
A good opener, Crawley has displayed his calmness on many occasions. He is in tune to England’s Test tactics and would be an ideal candidate to replace Stokes in the distant future.
