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Stuart Broad questions Ben Stokes’ suitability as England’s ODI captain due to his injury record and the physical demands of the 50-over format.
Stuart Broad does not feel Ben Stokes leading England’s ODI side is the right move. (Image: AFP)
The former England international Stuart Broad believes that giving Ben Stokes the reins to England’s ODI side is not the right move, considering the all-rounder’s injury record.
The English fast-bowling great who played 167 Tests and 121 ODIs reckons that the 50-over format can be more physically intensive than Test cricket.
“How many overs has Stokes bowled successfully in the last three years while battling his knee injuries? Not many. And you’re going to add another eight to 10 overs in a 50-over format onto his workload? The mathematics of that make no sense,” Broad shared in an interview with The Daily Mail.
“As someone who played 121 one-day internationals, I can honestly say I found the 50-over format more tiring than Test match cricket. Why? Because it’s such high intensity. You bowl 10 overs in three and a half hours, during which you are running from fielding positions, sprinting after balls all the time, non-stop,” he added.
Broad, however, believes that Stokes may be the best captain, but the England Cricket Board (ECB) has not helped itself with scheduling the 50-over games, and the lack of structure could be an additional physical risk for Stokes.
‘Ben Stokes is the best captain we’ve got, but it doesn’t mean he’s the right person to do the 50-over job. Let’s face it, we’re not scheduling things to help the one-day team,” he said.
‘The hierarchy are not bothered by 50-over cricket. We have no structure to be able to train our players to play it, so why would you risk Ben Stokes’ body to captain something like that?” Broad questioned.
England faces a massive issue regarding who will take over the vacant captaincy spot in the 50-over setup. This comes after Jos Buttler decided to step down from the role after England’s disappointing campaign in the recently-concluded Champions Trophy 2025.
The Buttler-led side ended their tournament without a single win, having been beaten by the likes of Australia, Afghanistan and South Africa during the group stages.
Harry Brook was named as England’s white-ball vice-captain in January, earlier this year, but his jump up as captain has yet to be confirmed by the ECB.
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