‘I give my 100% support’: Ben Stokes names Harry Brook as preferred successor as captain

Harry Brook and Ben Stokes (Image: X) Ben Stokes has fully backed Harry Brooke as his preferred successor to lead the England Test team following his retirement from international cricket. Brook, who currently captains England in ODIs and T20Is, has served as Stokes’ vice-captain in the Test setup and is widely regarded as the front-runner to take over the role permanently.Interestingly, when Stokes was unavailable for the second Test against New Zealand, the England management decided to have former captain Joe Root lead the side in Brook’s place. However, Stokes made it clear that he had no part in the decision and reiterated his belief that Brook was the natural choice to succeed him.“There’s a reason why he was asked to be vice-captain of this team, I know with all the controversies over the last couple of weeks some decisions were made but they were decisions I wasn’t there to make,” Stokes said after England’s farewell Test defeat.

Harry Brook should be the natural successor

The 35-year-old explained that Brook’s promotion would simply follow the traditional route of leadership within the team.“You’re asked to be vice-captain of the team for a reason, I was vice-captain under Joe for a long time and it’s a natural progression. If the captain’s not there or available then you do it. So there’s absolutely no reason why Harry shouldn’t be asked,” Stokes added.Stokes also highlighted Brook’s growing influence in the dressing room and backed the Yorkshire batter to thrive in the role.“He’s someone who is obviously an incredible player and one of the older players in this group. Only time will tell, but don’t ask someone to be vice-captain if you don’t think they have the ability and the ability to captain the team when it’s needed. If they asked me who I think should do it, I’ll throw my 100% behind Harry Brook,” concluded Stokes.Brook was officially appointed as England’s white-ball captain in April 2025 following the resignation of Jose Buttler and recently led the side during the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup. Harry Brook has established himself as a generational superstar in Test cricket, currently sitting second in the ICC Test Batting Rankings behind team-mate Joe Root.