- Stokes set to deputise for Joe Root in first West Indies Test
- It is less than two years since Stokes was acquitted of affray
Ben Stokes is preparing to step up as England captain for the first Test against West Indies next week and he believes this honour has come about after responding to the notorious Bristol incident of 2017 with sheer hard work.
Joe Root is expected to miss the series opener in Southampton which starts on 8 July with his wife, Carrie, due to give birth this week and England mandating a seven-day quarantine for anyone looking to re-enter the biosecure “bubble” after spending time in a hospital.