Former England fast bowler Stuart Broad is not in favor of appointing Ben Stokes as the team’s next ODI captain. Broad feels that Stokes’ bowling workload will increase a lot more if he becomes the ODI captain which will risk him being injured.

Recently, England’s managing director Rob Key revealed that Ben Stokes is among the contenders for the team’s white-ball captaincy after the resignation of Jos Buttler from the role. Buttler resigned after England’s dismal Champions Trophy campaign where they crashed out of the group stage.

While Key didn’t confirm it, he admitted that Ben Stokes is one of the contenders for the role alongside Harry Brook. Stokes is already leading England’s Test team currently but hasn’t played an ODI since the 2023 ODI World Cup.

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Should Ben Stokes become England’s next ODI captain?

While speaking to The Daily Mail, Stuart Broad warned the ECB of appointing Ben Stokes as England’s next white-ball captain. Broad feels that Stokes’ workload will only increase if he is appointed for this role which won’t be helpful for his injury-prone body.

“Going for (Ben) Stokes would be a move of desperation. I would be lost for words if England appointed him. Firstly, there is the schedule. He’s not going to the Indian Premier League to try to prioritise the Test match team and get his physicality right for the big events on the horizon,” Broad noted.

Ben Stokes pulled out of the IPL auction to make himself fully committed to England’s Test team. The allrounder’s injury issues have affected his glorious career over the years.

ODIs are more tiring than Tests: Stuart Broad

Broad further claimed that the ODIs are more taxing than Tests and Stokes’ introduction as an ODI captain will increase his bowling workload a lot more.

“How many overs has Stokes bowled successfully in the last three years while battling his knee injuries? Not many. And you’re going to add another eight to 10 overs in a 50-over format onto his workload?” Broad wondered.

“The mathematics of that make no sense. As someone who played 121 one-day internationals I can honestly say I found the 50-over format more tiring than Test match cricket,” he added.

Ben Stokes has constantly suffered injuries in the last few years which has also hampered his chances of playing international games for England. He has prioritized Test cricket and also aims to achieve many more things for England in the longer format of the game.

Stuart Broad asks England to “reintroduce Archer” against India

Stuart Broad further called for England to play Jofra Archer in the five-match Test series against India in order to harden him ahead of the Ashes later in the year. However, he called for better management for the bowlers to lessen their chances of getting injured.

“Personally, I would like the idea of playing a tough five-match series against India before the Ashes, but we know it will be physically challenging. What you don’t want to happen is get to September and suddenly Stokes’s knee’s blown, Jofra Archer’s back has gone, or his elbow, and Mark Wood is out because the physicality of the cricket has been so strong,” said Broad.

“Yes, you want the players be battle-hardened, but I’d expect the bowlers to be managed well. So against India, you need to reintroduce Archer,” the former England quick added.

England will play a five-match Test series against India at home from June. The series will be the first for both teams in the next World Test Championship (WTC) cycle and is likely to be a thrilling one between two teams eager to prove themselves.