‘It’d be a mistake to consider Ben Stokes as a long-term England captain': Mike Atherton

Former England captain Michael Atherton believes it would be a 'mistake' to consider Ben Stokes as a 'long-term' choice for the England Test skipper's role as the demanding job 'wears down' even the toughest of characters. Stokes was appointed as England Test skipper on Thursday. The all-rounder replaced Joe Root, who was at the helm of England's Test cricket for 64 Tests with a lot of success before the recent failures.

"It would be a mistake to imagine Stokes as necessarily a long-term pick. Having seen the way the job wears down even the toughest and flintiest of characters, there is no need for the same to happen to Stokes," Atherton, who has captained England in 54 Tests wrote in his column for The Times.

Atherton said Stokes should be asked to lead the side for a short period and then step away while he still has something to contribute as a player.

"Let him give the job his all for a short period of time, hoping to help transform attitudes and approach, and then step away while he has more to give as a player.

"The England captaincy, it was once said, is a coconut, not a crown. There will be plenty of people having a shy at it, no doubt, in the months to come but, to quote Key: 'The time is right.' Indeed it is," he added.

The 30-year-old Stokes, who has scored more than 5,000 runs and taken 174 wickets in his 79 tests for England, called it an "honour" to lead the test side.

"This is a real privilege, and I'm excited about getting started this summer," he said.

Stokes acknowledged Root's role in his development as a leading figure in the England dressing room.

"I want to thank Joe for everything he has done for English cricket and for always being a great ambassador for the sport all across the world," Stokes said of England's batting mainstay.

"He has been a massive part of my development as a leader in the dressing room, and he will continue to be a key ally for me in this role."