England opener Zak Crawley has publicly backed Ben Stokes to continue as England Test captain, insisting the all-rounder should stay in the role “for a long time” despite England losing the ongoing 2025–26 Ashes series. The confirmation comes amid scrutiny of England’s management following defeats in the first three Tests of the tour.
Crawley’s support stems from Stokes’ influence in the group and the standards he sets on and off the field. Speaking to TNT Sports, the England batsman stressed that results alone should not define Stokes’ captaincy, especially given the wider progress made under his leadership alongside head coach Brendan McCullum.
“Well, he’s the best captain I’ve ever played under, as simple as that… I mean, he’s a very good leader. He leads by example, he leads in the way he talks in the group,” Crawley said.
“He is exactly the right man to lead our country in this team. He should be captain for a long time…He has so much more to give and is still one of the best cricketers in the world. The whole group would say exactly the same. Everyone loves playing under Stokes,” he added.
Stokes is England’s Test captain from 2022 and is under contract until 2027. The Ashes tour was widely seen as a defining stage for the Stokes-McCullum partnership, with England aiming to assert their aggressive approach in Australia. While the streak slipped away after early losses, England’s win in the fourth Test in Melbourne was significant, marking their first Test victory on Australian soil in almost 15 years. The result also helped England avoid a whitewash.
Since McCullum’s appointment, England have won 26 of their 45 Tests, including a historic 3-0 whitewash in Pakistan, giving the current regime a 57% success rate. This marks a clear improvement from the previous era under Joe Root, who oversaw 27 wins from 64 Tests as captain.
Despite this progress, England are currently seventh in the Test World Cup rankings for the 2025–2027 cycle. After the Sydney Test, which starts on January 4, they have home series against New Zealand and Pakistan and away tours of South Africa and Bangladesh. Having failed to reach the WTC finals in the last two editions, sustained results will be crucial. Still, with the support of senior players and former captains, Stokes’ leadership appears firmly in the England camp for the Ashes.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
January 3, 2026
