England's victory in the second Test of the series against West Indies at Trent Bridge last week was Ben Stokes' 16th win as England captain.
No England men's captain who has led England in at least 25 Test matches has a better win percentage than in charge than Stokes. Having now led England in 25 Tests since he took up the role in 2022, Stokes is seemingly etching himself into history as statistically one of England's greatest ever captains.
In terms of his most recent predecessors, Stokes is undeniably a breath of fresh air. Both Joe Root and Alastair Cook finished their captaincy with win percentages in the low 40s, with both also having higher loss percentages than Stokes. Even Andrew Strauss, the only captain ever to lead England to the top of the ICC team Test rankings, had a win percentages significantly lower than Stokes' (48.00). Of other England captains remembered as 'greats', Mike Brearley's win percentage, having led England in 31 Tests, reads 58.06%, and Michael Vaughan's after 51 Tests in charge was 50.98.
Even in comparison to overseas greats, Stokes' win percentage ranks near the top. Of captains who have led their country in 25 or more men's Tests, only Steve Waugh (71.93) has a higher win percentage when you exclude the one-off Test Stokes captained filling in for an absent Joe Root in 2020. His nearest contemporary rival is Pat Cummins, whose win percentage is currently 60.71 after 28 Tests in charge, and having led Australia to the World Test Championship title.
However, while Stokes' win percentage puts him in illustrious company, it is slightly misleading if used in isolation for a barometer of greatness.
Stokes loss percentage (32) is abnormally high for a captain with a win percentage as high as his. Only Michael Clarke on 34.04% after 47 Tests has a higher loss percentage among captains to lead their team in 25 or more Tests and win more than half of their Tests in charge.
This is partly explained by the approach Stokes has taken. By increasing scoring rates and taking time out of the equation, avoiding draws even by increasing the risk of losing has been a defining aspect of his leadership. England have only drawn one Test match during his time in charge, when rain washed out the final day of the Manchester Ashes Test match in 2023.
Captain Stokes' win percentage is only behind two Aussie greats 💪 pic.twitter.com/vpziRkHWBE
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) July 23, 2024
Equally, Stokes' win/loss (2) ratio also does not match up to the very best in the game's history. A win/loss ratio is arguably a better way to judge a captain's success, rather than on pure win percentages as it allows for direct comparison between the matches won and matches lost. The greater the positive difference between matches won against matches lost, the better/higher a win/loss ratio is.
17 captains who've led their country in 25 or more Tests have a better win/loss ratio than Stokes does. The best is Steve Waugh who has a win/loss ratio of 4.55, while Stokes is also bettered by his compatriots Vaughan, Strauss, Brearley and Ray Illingworth. Thus, while Stokes' method has worked in terms of securing England wins, it's come at the expense of more losses, which has harmed his win/loss ratio.
Even at this point in his captaincy, Stokes has ensured a legacy as one of England's most impactful captains, having instantaneously turned their recent record around from the latter Root era. But, while Stokes' win percentage has rightly attracted praise and attention, a broader look at his stats give a more accurate depiction of his captaincy record.
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