New England captain Ben Stokes needs to replicate the Headingley 2019 masterclass to inspire his team - The Yorkshire Post says

If truth be told there was only one candidate to replace Yorkshire’s Joe Root as captain of the England cricket team.

By YP Comment

Published 28th Apr 2022, 16:18 BST

Stokes now needs to give the England team a winning mentality.

Few will ever forget the heroics of Ben Stokes at Headingley during the 2019 Ashes, when he finished unbeaten on 135 in England’s unlikely fourth innings chase - widely regarded as one of the greatest individual performances by a test cricketer.

Stokes has been a key pillar of the one-day international, with his heroics helping England capture their first ever 50-over World Cup in the same year as his Headingley masterclass.

He now takes on a heavy responsibility. England are winless in nine tests, with just one victory in 17 matches.

However if Stokes can tear up the form book like he did at Headingley and get the best out of the squad he now leads, New Zealand, India and South Africa may well find themselves looking on helplessly this summer, just like Australia did in 2019.