BEN STOKES is favourite to be England’s next captain — but he does not expect a vacancy any time soon.
Test vice-captain Stokes, 30, remains convinced his friend Joe Root will stay in charge despite a crushing defeat in The Ashes.
Asked whether he felt Root, 31, might stand down, Stokes insisted: “I don’t sense that at all with Joe. He’s brought this team a long way, he’s done some great things.
“Obviously, this series hasn’t gone too well. Not from a captaincy point of view but from a team and results point of view.
“The captain and coach bear the scrutiny but there are ten other guys in the field. I’ve not sensed that from Joe whatsoever.”
The England hierarchy are under pressure with the Aussies leading 3-0 and wanting to inflict a whitewash on the poor Poms.
Head coach Chris Silverwood, who got Covid and remains in Melbourne, is the most vulnerable.
Team supremo Ashley Giles, who has arrived in Sydney for the Fourth Test — which starts late tomorrow night UK time — is also in the firing line.
JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET A FREE £10 BONUS WITH 100s OF GAMES TO PLAY AND NO DEPOSIT REQUIRED (Ts&Cs apply)
Captain Root is unlikely to be sacked but could decide to quit in order to concentrate on his batting.
Stokes added: “That’s your job, to say, ‘Should people step down?’
“The most important people’s opinions are those guys in the dressing room and he has our thorough support.
“Captaincy is more than about setting fields, picking the team and making decisions in the middle.
“A captain is someone you want to go out and play for. Joe is someone I always want to play for. Chris . . . exactly the same.
“You have all the hype about their futures but they know they have the support of everyone in there — and that’s all that matters.
“I said before I’ve never really had an ambition to be a captain. That’s totally Joe’s decision. He shouldn’t be forced into doing it.
“I’m sure Alastair Cook felt the same way. When he knew his time was up, his time was up.
“Those discussions haven’t been entered anywhere near with Joe yet.”
Stokes’ own contribution during the opening three Tests has been modest — 101 runs in six innings and four wickets at 62 apiece.
He has struggled for form and rhythm after spending several months away from cricket to prioritise his mental health and fix his damaged finger.
The all-rounder admitted: “I’ve been pretty average.
“I look at things from a team point of view and, coming into the fourth game 3-0 down, there are not a lot of positives when you say it like that.
“But being back among the lads has been great. I’d much rather results were going our way but you’re representing your country.
“Playing for England in an Ashes series, you must take the rough with the smooth.
“That last hour on day two in Melbourne with Pat Cummins and Mitch Starc bowling… I was watching and saying, ‘I don’t know what I’d do to counteract that.’
“It was some of the highest-quality bowling I’ve seen in a Test match.”
In fact, Stokes had to bat shortly before the close when nightwatchman Jack Leach was bowled and he used delaying tactics to try to reduce the number of balls he had to face.
Stokes explained: “I was lying on the physio’s bench and fully ready.
“I was watching the big clock in the Melbourne changing room and had to run a little to avoid maybe being timed out!
“There was one ball left and I thought I did it quite well. Every cricketer would have done the same.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been booed by 49,000 people when walking out.
“I took as long as I possibly could but it didn’t go in my favour because I had to face another over.
“I said to the guys that it was the first time I’ve been taken aback by the atmosphere in a ground.
“Although we were on the receiving end, it was special to feel that at the MCG.”
Meanwhile, England are furious the Aussies endangered players’ health with a training cock-up.
Local club cricketers attended nets yesterday to bowl at Joe Root and his team — but were kicked out after two lateral flow tests came back positive.
Cricket Australia confirmed the cases but England are demanding to know why the pair were allowed to mingle with their players before the test results were known.
The Aussies’ official line was that the duo have “recently recovered from Covid infections and therefore posed no risk to England’s players”.
But officials admitted privately it was an error and they should have waited for the results before bowling.
Some England players are close to breaking point having seen Covid hit coaching staff, broadcasters, journalists, match officials, net bowlers and charity figureheads.
Most of the players’ families have flown home to escape the impact of the outbreaks.
The latest scare came as ex-England one-day skipper Adam Hollioake saw plans to help coach the team KO’d by a close contact testing positive.
He had driven 500 miles from his home but is now holed up in the team hotel. Hollioake tweeted: “You can’t make it up.”
Six England players involved in the Big Bash must fly home from Australia by Friday — a week early — in order to be available for the five T20s in West Indies later this month.
