Former England captains pick Ben Stokes as Joe Root's successor

Former England captains Michael Vaughan and Nasser Hussain have thrown their weight behind superstar all-rounder Ben Stokes to serve as Joe Root's successor.

Root, on Friday, relinquished the leadership duties of the Test team following an ordeal that saw him preside over 11 defeats and just one win in the last 17 Tests.

Following Root's resignation, the search for his successor has begun, with Ben Stokes emerging as the obvious candidate.

Former Captain-turned pundit Michael Vaughan has tipped the Durham all-rounder as the ideal candidate, citing his 'brilliant cricket brain' and the respect he commands from the dressing room.

"I don't see anyone else who could take the position and be guaranteed of their place in the side," Vaughan told the BBC.

"In Ben Stokes, you have clearly got someone who has got a smart cricket brain, he's going to give it everything, he is certainly going to have the respect of the players around him." he added.

While Stokes is the obvious choice, it must be kept in mind that the seam-bowling all-rounder is an all-format cricketer and has recently made a comeback following mental health issues.

Last July, Stokes took an indefinite break from the game to address his finger injury and mental health. He made a comeback during the Ashes last winter.

Former Captain Nasser Hussain echoed the same concerns, which he urged the ECB and director of cricket needs to keep in mind before they appoint him captain.

"You have to be in a good place mentally and physically to do the job — and Ben has had his problems away from the field," wrote Hussain in his column for the Daily Mail.

"Whoever the new director of cricket is, the first thing they must do is ... sit down with Stokes, look him in the eye and find out where he is," Hussain suggested.

If not Stokes, then the former middle-order batsman suggested that England should appoint Stuart Broad "on a short-term basis this summer, the principle of picking your best side leads me to Broad".

Broad, along with James Anderson, was dropped from the Test squad for the recent tour of the Caribbean, and Hussain believes that England's all-time second-highest wicket-taker will have a point to prove if he gets the leadership duties.

"Stuart has a brilliant cricket brain, lots of experience and is a fighter who wants to win every game he plays in," Hussain said.

"He has a point to prove after the last couple of months and we know how dangerous he can be in those circumstances." he added.

England will open their international summer against New Zealand from June 02.