England could spring a surprise by asking Ben Stokes to take charge of their ailing white-ball side, with managing director Rob Key admitting “it would be stupid” not to consider the Test skipper.
Jos Buttler stood down as limited-overs captain after his disappointing reign concluded with a dismal Champions Trophy campaign that left his side nursing a run of 10 defeats from 11 games since the turn of the year.
His vice-captain, Harry Brook, was thought to be at the front of the queue should the next generation be asked to step up but Key, the managing director of men’s cricket, is giving himself time to consider his options.
And, in an unexpected move, expanding Stokes’ brief appears to be one of them.
The 33-year-old has proved a natural and inspirational frontman since taking over the red-ball side from Joe Root but his age and injury issues – he is currently recovering from a second serious hamstring issue in the last nine months – means he has operated as a Test specialist for almost 18 months.
Yet Key is alive to the prospect of pairing up the ‘Bazball’ duo of Stokes and Brendon McCullum, having already installed the latter as cross-format head coach.
“I think nothing’s off the table really. Ben Stokes is one of the best captains I’ve ever seen,” he said.
“It would be stupid not to look at him. It’s just the knock-on effect of what that means.
“You’re just trying to find who is the best leader to take this team forward? Who can manage that? Who is actually going to drive it? Leadership is everything.”
Keeping Stokes fresh and ready for action, particularly given his longstanding fitness issues, will be a primary concern.
He has not played a T20 international since the triumphant World Cup final of November 2022, and has not featured in an ODI since the 2023 tournament.