Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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Is Joe Root is the right person to captain England?

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On this week’s Stumped, Alison Mitchell, Jim Maxwell, and Charu Sharma debate whether Joe Root is the right person to captain England after Ben Stokes revealed concerns about the toll the role could take on him, while insisting he wishes Root nothing but success. We ask what England’s other options could have been, and How Root could thrive under Fleming. Plus, what next for Stokes himself?

00:00 Introduction
01:05 What toll could the captaincy take on Joe Root?
03:50 What’s changed for Joe Root since his last tenure?
04:40 What about Harry Brook?
07:00 England’s lack of options
10:20 Root-Tendulkar comparison
12:44 What next for Ben Stokes – franchise cricket, Test cricket or coaching?


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