3 players who can replace Ben Stokes as England's Test captain

England's Test team has found itself in a spot of turmoil with revelations of captain Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson involved in an incident at a nightclub after their victory in the first Test of the 2026 summer against New Zealand at Lord's.

What promised to be a summer of recalibration and rediscovery for the Three Lions has gone up in flames, with the resurfaced demons of the winter Ashes series, where a dismal 4-1 series loss was further marred by severe drinking-related incidents. Multiple unconfirmed reports have emerged of Stokes' future, both with respect to captaincy and his continuity as a cricketer. With the final call on his future still up in the air, we aim to dive deeper into the contingencies within the current England squad.

Ben Duckett is probably one of the most experienced players within the current England squad, as they look to transition from the golden generation, which saw much all-format success along with winning the 2019 World Cup. The southpaw himself was unsure of his place in the team after he failed in Australia, but his selection indicates that he now stands as one of the senior players in the team.

Duckett does not have much captaincy experience apart from a stint leading Welsh Fire in the Men's Hundred in 2021 and a handful of games as skipper of the England U-19s in 2014. Despite this, Duckett's position as a senior player would see him thrust into the leadership picture. He has been one of the most successful players of the 'Bazball' regime under coach Brendon McCullum, averaging 41.8 in 74 innings at a strike rate of 87.4 with 15 half-centuries and six centuries. And captaincy could be a way for him to give back to the regime for the faith they showed him.