Former England skipper Michael Vaughan claims it would be "selfish" to even consider Ben Stokes as a candidate for white-ball captaincy.
At the MCC's annual Cowdrey Lecture on Thursday evening (April 3), Vaughan spoke alongside Jonathan Agnew, Ebony Rainford-Brent and Phil Tufnell. Towards the end of the session, the chat turned to the topic of England Men's white-ball captaincy.
Jos Buttler resigned from the role on February 28, following the team's group-stage exit at the Champions Trophy. Batter Harry Brook is the favourite to take over, but a report from The Telegraph on Thursday claims that Brook is set to be appointed T20 skipper, with a decision yet to be made between him and Ben Stokes for the ODI captaincy.
Stokes retired from ODIs in 2022, before returning briefly for the 2023 World Cup. He requested not to be considered for last year's T20 World Cup as well, seeking to focus on a return to full bowling fitness in red-ball cricket, the format in which he has led England since 2022.
Vaughan: Absolute nonsense to think Stokes is going to play white-ball cricket
Stokes has not played an ODI since November 2023, and not played a T20I since November 2022. In the intervening period, he has also been plagued by injuries, most recently a hamstring tear last December which ruled him out for three months. However, ECB managing director Rob Key did say it would be "stupid" not to consider him for the white-ball captaincy.
"I think it's absolutely nonsense to think that Ben Stokes is going to play white-ball cricket," Vaughan said. "He gives absolutely everything, and that's not just when he's playing for England. You just have to see it in the way that he's training. He's all or nothing. I think it's quite, in a way, selfish to even consider him.
"Because he will say yes, and it's Ben Stokes, and he'll do whatever England ask him to do. Don't ask him. Just let him be...and I have him right up there with the best Test captains I've ever seen, with what he delivers. What he's delivered in the last three years, and the way that he's got England playing, the way that he's played himself – it is right up there with the best."
"I want to see Ben captain," Vaughan continued. "And it's not just India this summer, it's not just this Ashes series [in December] away from the UK. I want to see him captain in 2027, in the Ashes series. I want to see him get England to a World Test Championship final, we've never been in one. Why put the burden on him, playing white-ball cricket? It was only a few weeks ago he pulled out of the Hundred because his body wasn't quite right.
"So why are we even considering putting more, and it's not pressure, on Ben because he deals with pressure better than anybody. So it's not the pressure. It's just, let's look after his body. Let's look after Ben Stokes' body, and let's try and make him play Test match cricket for as long as possible. Let him get an Ashes series in his hands."
'Surely you want Harry Brook to be the captain of the 50-over team'
"Harry Brook will be the T20 captain," Vaughan added. "I think that'll be announced soon, something I would expect. And if Harry Brook's good enough to be the T20 captain, the next World Cup is the T20 World Cup in a year.
"So if you're saying that Harry Brook is deemed good enough to captain a World Cup in a year's time, surely you want Harry Brook to be the captain of the 50-over team with that 50-over World Cup in two-and-a-half years' time."
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