Ben Stokes: I'm not trying to be Flintoff or Botham

The England Test captain will be drawing on his entire career in his new role, after taking over from Joe Root

England's new Test captain Ben Stokes will be drawing on the experience of his teammates and his entire cricket career throughout his tenure as Joe Root's successor.

After taking charge of a single Test against West Indies back in 2020, the 30-year-old has been installed as the permanent skipper.

The move evokes memories of fellow all-rounders Andrew Flintoff and Ian Botham being given the role, though the pair only achieved two wins between them.

Surrounded by three players who have played in more than 100 Tests, James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Root, Stokes has pledged that his tenure will be anything but autocratic.

"I’ve had to deal with comparisons to Andrew Flintoff and Sir Ian Botham since I was 18 or 19," he told BBC Sport.

"And I’ve always said I’m not trying to be either of them, I’m just Ben Stokes.

"It’s naive and stupid to think that now, because I’m captain, my way is the only way and no one else has a voice or an input. 

"Because I feel that’s one thing that a leader needs to do. Always make sure that other people around them feel valued and have a voice.

"It’s one thing I did against West Indies at Southampton when I was captain I asked Jos (Buttler) a lot, especially about my personal use as a bowler.

"So I’ll be using that and not just thinking I can do everything."

^{Stokes was speaking at his media unveiling at Chester-le-Street (Scott Heppell/Getty Images)}

Good or bad, Stokes will take his experience from across his entire cricket career into the biggest on-field job in English cricket.

From hitting 258 against South Africa in Cape Town, missing the 2017/18 Ashes series after being arrested following an incident in Bristol, smashing 135 not out to beat Australia at Headingley, his father passing away in December 2020 or his break from cricket last summer to prioritise his mental wellbeing, he has plenty to draw on.

"There’s a lot of things that I’ve gone through since I became a professional cricketer, and those experiences I feel are positive in this new role that I’ve got," he added.

"I’ve been through a lot of goods and have been through a lot of bads and I feel like I can relate to both sides of what this sporting life can throw at you.

"I hope that now because I’m England captain, I’m not seen as a different person to the people who I’ve played with. I feel as if I’ve always been someone who anybody can come and speak to.

"I see everything that I’ve gone through as a positive and you can relate to people if that is good or bad.

"I don’t see anything that I’ve gone through as a negative. If anything, I see it as a way that I can always try and help them."

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