James Montague -- April 24, 2026
Durham all-rounder retains red-ball leadership through to 2027 Ashes after board endorses Brendon McCullum's coaching setup.
The England and Wales Cricket Board has reappointed Ben Stokes as Test captain following the conclusion of its post-winter performance review, securing the all-rounder's leadership through the 2027 Ashes campaign in Australia.
The decision, ratified unanimously by the ECB board at a meeting in Birmingham on Tuesday, comes after a six-week review of England's red-ball operation led by Rob Key, the ECB's managing director of men's cricket. The review backed both Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum, whose contract was extended through to the end of the 2027 home summer.
"Ben is the right leader to take this team forward," Key told reporters at Edgbaston. "His tactical clarity, his standards, and the culture he has built with Brendon are the foundation of everything we are trying to achieve. We see no reason to change a direction that has reshaped Test cricket in this country."
Stokes, 34, has captained England in 38 Tests since taking over from Joe Root in April 2022, winning 22, overseeing the side's transformation into the aggressive "Bazball" unit that has divided opinion but filled grounds. He missed parts of the winter tour with a recurring left hamstring problem but has returned to full training at Durham and is expected to bowl in the County Championship fixture against Worcestershire next week.
Speaking at Chester-le-Street, Stokes said he was "honoured" to continue. "There's unfinished business with this group. We've got a home summer against India and then Australia away — that's everything you dream about as a player. I'm not going anywhere."
Harry Brook, the white-ball captain, has been formally confirmed as Test vice-captain, a move Key described as "long-term thinking" around succession.
Root, England's all-time leading Test run-scorer with more than 13,500 runs at an average above 50, welcomed the decision. "Ben's the best leader I've played under," the Yorkshireman told Sky Sports. "The clarity he gives the dressing room is unmatched."
As a direct consequence of the review, the ECB also confirmed the appointment of former Hampshire coach Adi Birrell as a specialist batting consultant for the home summer on a four-month contract, addressing concerns raised over middle-order collapses during the 2-1 series defeat in India earlier this year.
England's first Test under the renewed leadership begins at Headingley on 18 June against Shubman Gill's India, with selection set to be announced on 4 June.