LONDON: England have made a leadership change ahead of the second Test against New Zealand, with former captain Joe Root named interim skipper after Ben Stokes was left out of the squad.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed the development on Wednesday, announcing Root’s return to the captaincy for the match at The Oval, scheduled to begin on June 17.
The decision sees Root take charge despite Harry Brook serving as England’s Test vice-captain and white-ball captain. The ECB described the veteran batter as “interim captain” for the upcoming fixture.
Root previously led England in 64 Tests between 2017 and 2022 before stepping down following a difficult run that saw the team win just one of their final 17 matches under his leadership, including a 4-0 Ashes defeat in Australia.
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Notably, Stokes was deemed unavailable for selection while he and fast bowler Gus Atkinson remain under investigation following an alleged altercation involving Saracens rugby player Totoa Auvaa at a London nightclub in the early hours of Monday morning.
The absence of Stokes has further fueled uncertainty surrounding his future, with reports suggesting the all-rounder is considering both his position as Test captain and his international career.
Jordan Cox and Jofra Archer were drafted in as replacements for Stokes and Atkinson, respectively.
England squad for second Test against New Zealand: Joe Root (captain), Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Jacob Bethell, Matthew Fisher, Emilio Gay, James Rew, Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Ollie Robinson, Sonny Baker, Shoaib Bashir, and Josh Tongue.
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