• Stokes reappointed after 2017 sacking; Jack Leach misses out
England may have one Test debutant at Edgbaston and they will certainly have a different vice-captain. The selection of Jofra Archer in a 14-man squad is no great surprise but amid the recent whirl of activity the return of Ben Stokes as Joe Root’s deputy had not been signposted.
So Birmingham becomes the venue of the Redemption Test. If Cameron Bancroft, who brought his baggy green cap to England after signing up for Durham – “to act as motivation for a Test recall” – joins Steve Smith and David Warner in Australia’s Test team, the sandpaper trio of Cape Town will be reunited in white at the earliest opportunity. Meanwhile Stokes, stripped of the vice-captaincy after the Bristol incident of September 2017, has his stripes back, which means that Jos Buttler stands down.
Written by Vic Marks
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/jul/27/ben-stokes-jofra-archer-england-ashes-squad-first-test under the title “Ben Stokes named vice-captain as Jofra Archer makes England’s Ashes squad”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
