There has been a wave of approval coming in from current and former England players, praising the move to make Ben Stokes the new England Test captain on Thursday after Joe Root stepped down from the post recently.

England men’s team has struggled in red-ball cricket, winning just one of their last 17 Tests, despite the country being the reigning 50-over World Champions.

Stokes, the talismanic all-rounder, is expected to make his first appearance as England’s Test captain when they take on New Zealand on June 2 at Lord’s, in a three-Test series.

“I am honoured to be given the chance to lead the England Test team,” Stokes said, as reported by AFP.

“This is a real privilege and I’m excited about getting started this summer. I want to thank Joe for everything he has done for English cricket and for always being a great ambassador for the sport all across the world. He has been a massive part of my development as a leader in the dressing room and he will continue to be a key ally for me in this role.”

Here’s what former England captains Nasser Hussain and Mike Atherton said about the appointment, to Sky Sports.

Nasser Hussain

“I think Stokes is the best option. He has been vice-captain for four or five years and has a huge aurora and personality about him. You look to some people around the world; Mike Brearley, Mahela Jayawardene, Ian Chappell of late have all said ‘Ben Stokes is your man, make this man your captain’.

“Anyone who knows Ben knows that the only one thing he has ever been passionate about is England winning. He puts himself secondary to England winning. We have a winner in charge of our Test team and he will be doing everything to make sure we win every Test match we play.”

Mike Atherton

“Stokes has proven to be an inspirational cricketer over the years. He will lead from the front and the players will follow him. He has got great respect there as a cricketer and as a man.”

Here are some more reactions