The adrenaline of captaincy will lift up the game of Ben Stokes by miles, reckons Ravi Shastri

Joe Root resigned from the captaincy of the England Test team recently and there was a lot of discussion about his successor. Ben Stokes was always the front-runner for the position and he was officially appointed as full-time Test captain on Thursday. Stokes will have a tough challenge ahead as England faced a drubbing by Australia in the Ashes. Several former cricketers have shared their views on his captaincy and Ravi Shastri is the new name to join the bandwagon. 

He shared a very different take saying that the adrenaline of captaincy will help Ben Stokes to up his game massively. 

"The adrenaline of captaincy – not that he needs it – could fire Stokes up to be something even more than the incredible player he is now. The important relationship is with the captain – the moment there is friction, things go downhill. But they will be fine because the England I saw last year, have enough talent and skill to compete. There's no doubt about that in my mind. It's all about their mindset,” Shastri said in an interview with the Guardian. 

Stokes’ appointment was suggested by Rob Key, the new managing director of England men’s cricket. Stokes has been appointed as England captain at a time when the team hasn’t been very successful in the last year. Reflecting on the appointment, Key said that he is delighted with the Stokes accepting the leadership role. 

"I had no hesitation in offering the role of Test captain to Ben. He epitomises the mentality and approach we want to take this team forward into the next era of red-ball cricket. I am delighted that he has accepted, and he is ready for the added responsibility and the honour. He thoroughly deserves the opportunity,” Key stated.