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‘I Couldn’t Turn Down…,’ Ben Stokes On Why He Decided To Lead England In Test Cricket

image-ls1h0euyBen Stokes celebrating England's win in first Test with teammates (AP)

Ben Stokes has opened up about the time he received England’s Test captaincy offer, and claimed that it was an opportunity he could not turn down. The star all-rounder revisited the same after leading England to a remarkable 28-run win in the first Test of their five-match series against India.

Stokes said that even though he never held any admirations of becoming a leader, he is actively enjoying the role and the responsibilities that are coming with it.

Stokes reveals reasons behind taking up captaincy

Ben Stokes was offered England’s Test leadership job in mid-2022 after Joe Root stepped down from the role.

The 32-year-old all-rounder recently revealed that he accepted the offer at the time because it was something he “couldn’t turn down”, even though he barely had any prior captaincy experience. While speaking with Jio Cinema, he said:

“It's something I never had any aspirations to do or really thought about too much. I had a little taste of it with the Durham Academy. This opportunity presented itself to me and it was something I couldn't turn down. It's a role I've grown into, it's a role that I've really enjoyed.”

Ben Stokes also explained how he is cherishing the responsibility, considering it has helped him mature as a person. He added:

“I love everything that comes with it, the responsibility of looking after people from different types of angles. Whether it be out in the field or away from the field. That's helped me mature as a person. Just really enjoying the responsibility of driving something forward.”

Ben Stokes is already on a path to become one of England’s greatest Test captains of all time. So far in his career, he has led his nation to 14 wins from just 20 matches, which even includes a 3-0 triumph in Pakistan and a drawn series in New Zealand.

After leading his side to an emphatic rearguard win against India, Stokes and co. will now face hosts in the second Test match of their five-match series in Visakhapatnam. The match will be staged at the city’s Dr. Y. S. Rajashekar Reddy ACA–VDCA Cricket Stadium between February 2 and February 6.