ECB managing director Rob Key backs Ben Stokes to replace Jos Buttler as ODI captain

Ben Stokes is the current captain of England’s test team.

It has been a tough couple of years for England in ODI cricket. After finishing seventh in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 ended with three defeats in three games.

As a reaction to the recent failures, ODI captain Jos Buttler decided to step down from the role after the completion of the Champions Trophy 2025. The wicket-keeper batter stated that he felt it was the right time, and the poor results meant his time in the role had come to an end.

While several names, including Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone, and Harry Brook, have been discussed to succeed Buttler in the role, ECB managing director Rob Key has now backed Ben Stokes to take up ODI captaincy.

ECB managing director Rob Key backs Ben Stokes to replace Jos Buttler as ODI captain

Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Key backed the experience and tactical brilliance of Ben Stokes to re-energize an ODI team that has lost its way. He emphasized that it would be “stupid” not to consider him for the role.

Key said, “I think nothing’s off the table really. You look at every single option and you think, right, what is the best thing to do? How is that going to impact on other things?“

“Ben Stokes is one of the best captains I’ve ever seen. So it would be stupid not to look at him. It’s just the knock-on effect of what that means.“

Key noted that Stokes’ leadership qualities, which guide players through tough situations, will be valuable for the England ODI team.

He added, “He’s an unbelievably good tactician, which we’ve seen in Test cricket, but he’s a leader of men. He’s someone who gets the best out of people. He’s someone that, when the pressure is really on, he’s able to throw a blanket around the players and actually say, ‘no, no, this is the way forward. Keep going with it’.“

“They’re the qualities that you need in leadership. Ben’s, as we know, an outstanding player, an outstanding leader.“

When asked about his workload, Key emphasized that he prefers to focus on the positive side of things.

“It’s more about, what would that then mean to him? What would that then mean to his workload?“

“We don’t want to risk other things as well. But there’s always a way in England, I think, where you start looking at, ‘what if it goes wrong?’ You’ve also got to think, ‘what if it goes right?’. They’re the decisions that I have to make.“

Having announced his ODI retirement on 18 July 2022, Stokes made a U-turn to return for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 as a specialist batsman. His potential return in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 was cancelled due to a hamstring injury suffered in December 2024 against New Zealand.

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