Ben Stokes, who last played an ODI in England's underwhelming 2023 World Cup bid, is still a top contender for the white-ball captaincy and Managing Director Rob Key commended Stokes' leadership, adding, "Ben Stokes is one of the best captains I've ever seen, so it'd be stupid not to look at him." Yet he conceded that Stokes had problems juggling Test and ODI captaincy.

England are also mulling over having different captains for the ODI and T20I sides. Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone, and Harry Brook are the ones who have been touted as possible candidates. Key stressed the need to make the right choice instead of a hasty one. "We're searching for the best individual who can drive this forward," he said.

A Wake-Up Call for England

England's premature exit from the Champions Trophy laid bare critical problems in the squad. Heavy losses against Australia, Afghanistan, and South Africa hinted at defects in team balance and selection. England had opted for an all-pacing approach to subcontinental surfaces, which paid disastrous dividends. Brydon Carse and Mark Wood's injuries reduced the squad further. Adil Rashid was the lone specialist spinner from the start, and Rehan Ahmed was introduced later as an alternative.

ECB Director confirms England not ruling out the option to appoint Ben Stokes as the ODI captain. pic.twitter.com/TDTezdNzNJ

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) March 6, 2025

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Looking back at the team's travails, Key conceded, "We were very poor. We haven't been particularly good in white-ball cricket since Eoin Morgan's time. The batting, in particular, has fallen off a cliff."

Addressing the Decline

England's white-ball woes had been evident well before the Champions Trophy, with heavy losses in India in ODIs and T20Is. It was reported that only Joe Root trained in the nets during the ODI series, but Key refuted these reports. "That story wasn't true," he explained. "I saw the team in Pakistan, and they practiced hard. It wasn't a lack of preparation that caused poor performances."

With England seeking to rebuild, the choice for their new white-ball captain either Stokes or someone new will be important in deciding the direction of the team