Stuart Broad has tipped Ben Stokes to be an "exceptional" captain after he was announced as England 's new Test skipper on Thursday.
Stokes replaces Joe Root, who stood down as captain earlier this month after a poor run of results that culminated in a disappointing series defeat to the West Indies. The all-rounder was the standout candidate to succeed Root and said it was "a real privilege" to become England captain.
In a statement, he said: "I am honoured to be given the chance to lead the England Test team. 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."
And Broad has hailed the all-rounder's appointment, telling BBC Sport : "He is someone you naturally follow anyway, he's a leader in the changing room. If he takes the way he plays and trains, his positive attitude, into his captaincy that'll be a really exciting thing for English cricket.
"He's got a really good tactical brain, so I'm sure he'll be exceptional. Stokes has dealt with so much in his life and still been able to perform to the highest standards.
"He won't let the added pressure or the added responsibility of being a captain affect the way he trains and affect the way he plays." Managing Director of England Men's Cricket Rob Key added that Stokes "genuinely thinks that he’s the best person to lead England forward".
Key said: "It was an easy decision, but it would been a lot tougher obviously if he wasn't keen. He's not someone with a massive ego who is thinking 'what's best for Ben Stokes?'.
"He genuinely thinks that he's the best person to lead England forward and I agree. I talked to a lot of people that know him, a lot of people around him, and a lot of people that he trusts as well.
"Every single one of them said that they felt he'd be an excellent captain. We sat down and we aligned in our thinking, how we see the game.
"I couldn't do it as a player – but it's how I wanted to play the game. He does it. He epitomises everything our red-ball team needs.
"I just want him to go out and lead from the front and I think he'll do that. He's got a lot of compassion, he's got a lot of empathy and when you talk to him he's always talking about other people around him and what's best for the side."
