Stokes, Morgan, Broad: Who will succeed Joe Root as England Test captain?

Root steps down after a torrid winter for England following successive series defeats to Australia and West Indies

Joe Root has stepped down from his role as England Test captain and talk has begun over who will next step into the position. Swipe or click through the gallery to view five potential candidates. Reuters

Ben Stokes: Root’s deputy and loyal ally. Said he had no captaincy ambitions on the occasions he was tasked with filling in for his mate. Seems the most likely replacement, but – with England’s next Test seven weeks away – he is under an injury cloud and has a lot of other jobs on his plate at the best of times. Reuters

Eoin Morgan: England’s World Cup-winning white-ball captain has been vocal about the fact England can – and should – be successful in all three formats of the game. His spell as the limited-overs leader has been transformative, but he last played a Test nearly 10 years ago, so a switch to whites appears far-fetched. PA

Stuart Broad: Maybe even more far-fetched than Morgan, given he and fellow pace bowling great James Anderson currently appear to be persona non grata. But the fire still burns for Broad, who turns 36 in June, to return. He would be an intriguing choice, even as an interim. AP

Will Rhodes: Aged 27, Rhodes has a mediocre first-class record, with seven tons in 72 matches and an average of just over 35. However, the Warwickshire captain, who also led England’s Under 19 side at the 2014 World Cup in the UAE, is highly regarded as a leader. Getty

James Vince: Tried and disregarded as a batter by England, but he has continued to flourish in the county game with Hampshire. A return as Test captain would go against the prevailing thinking in England’s corridors of power – but those corridors are increasingly empty now anyway. Getty

Such have been the struggles for the England Test team over recent times, there does not appear to be an obvious candidate to succeed Joe Root, after he stepped down as captain on Friday.

Root, who holds the record for the most number of matches and wins as England’s Test captain with 27, resigned after a torrid winter for his side.

Ashley Giles, the team director, and Chris Silverwood, the coach, had already gone after defeat in the Ashes in Australia.

Root has now added to the leadership vacuum at the top of the English game after a similarly woeful performance against West Indies in the Caribbean.

The Yorkshireman, whose returns with the bat have been prodigious despite his side’s struggles, will carry on as a batter.

Who should replace him as the leader, though, is open to question. The photo gallery above looks at some of the options England could be considering.