Stokes to captain England: Is the all-rounder a long-term option for the job?

Bio-secure venues minus spectators, home umpires, potential coronavirus substitutes and no saliva on the ball are just some of the consequences of attempting to play during a global health pandemic. It will be Test cricket, just not quite as we have come to know it.

There will also be a noticeable change to England’s team, too. With Joe Root out due to the birth of his second child, Ben Stokes will captain the team for the first time.

The opportunity to lead in a Test perhaps completes the circle for the all-rounder. An incident outside a Bristol nightclub in 2017 cost him the vice-captaincy, but he has rehabilitated his reputation through his actions, both on and off the field, to reclaim the position as Root's deputy.

Now, at 29, Stokes is preparing to become the 81st Test captain for England. It is a one-off on this occasion, yet also a potential dress rehearsal for the future. Root is the same age as his team-mate but has been in charge since February 2017; the grind eventually takes a toll on all who fill the role – and the numbers suggest performances suffer with the added burden.

Sitting fourth in the official Test rankings, England will be wary of asking their talismanic all-rounder to do too much. For now, though, this is an opportunity for Stokes to step in and demonstrate his capabilities as a captain (a role he has not filled in first-class cricket previously).

He has been second in command, now it is time to take on the top job, albeit temporarily.

Although I believe England go into this series as favorites because we have a weak batting line-up (not one of our top five batsmen average over 40.00 in Test cricket, Shai Hope who had an outstanding tour of England last time we played them has an average of 27.00 I will still be supporting West Indies and here is my starting eleven for the first Test match in batting order:- 1.K. Braithwaite, 2.J. Campbell 3.S. Hope 4. S. Brooks 5.R. Chase 6.S. Dorwich 7.J. Holder 8.R. Cornwall 9.K. Roach 10.A. Joseph 11.S. Gabriel....I have left out Blackwood because I do not rate him as a Test batsman, his game is more suited to ODIs...I would make him 12th man because of his fielding ability.....What say ye?....