MARTIN SAMUEL: Ben Stokes’ issues with mental health make this appointment a gamble

So ben stokes he will captain England and we will all be asked to politely forget that less than a year ago he was unavailable for his country due to mental health issues.

It is true that no one disputes that there were many suitable alternatives. England cannot promote players who are too young or clearly struggling for their best form, and the most gifted county captains would be completely out of their league in a Test stadium.

Stokes was the number 1 choice in a field of one. He is quite a brilliant player, the standout candidate and, if this were a general election, he would be returned with a landslide victory and preside over parliament.

And yet, mental well-being casts a shadow. Protecting him was one of the reasons given when Stokes retired from international duty last July. There were also injuries, and that is another problem that is not going to go away, but physical torment is part of the athlete’s destiny.

Stokes’ finger pain, or his knee pains, come with the territory. Whether the ECB is handing one of the highest pressure roles in the sport to a man who recently struggled mentally with less than that workload is a different matter. There is a duty of care. There is a new thought. Stokes may be feeling fine now, but there was little sign of distress before. His announcement was a shock to almost everyone.

So this is still a huge gamble. Not only for Stokes, who already has the weight of being the talismanic winner of the team, but also for the ECB.

Mental well-being casts a shadow, and protecting it is one of the reasons Stokes retired in July.

The appointment is a huge gamble, both for Stokes (top, center) and the ECB

Not too long ago Jonathan Trott was brought home from a volatile Ashes tour to deal with the traumatic onset of stress-related issues that had been challenging him for years. The ECB was looking carefully at his role in it, at what could be done differently.

The days that followed were filled with discussions about the mental pressures of top athletes, the way the age of celebrity obsession has added to the strain of a high-profile role.

It was noted that England had traveled to Australia with an 82-page brochure detailing 194 specific recipes and catering requirements. The lunch was to contain grilled eggplant, red bell pepper, red onion, and mashed basil or avocado, raw coleslaw, and green beans. Players are made to feel so important that they can’t even grab a sandwich like everyone else.

Stokes’ role can now put more pressure on a man whose body and mind were creaking

Rob Key, England’s new director of cricket, says the pattern “sums up everything we need”

So, of course, when the form leaves them, the shock is much greater. These were the conversations in 2013. And now in this rarefied atmosphere comes Captain Stokes because, well, what else was there to do?

The counterargument is that mental health should not be stigmatized. Should an episode in a brief period of Stokes’ life, when he was dealing with isolation from the cursed bubbles of Covid and the recent loss of his father, prevent him from getting the job he clearly wants and deserves? If Stokes says he’s fine now, shouldn’t that be enough?

That is clearly what the ECB has also told itself. There will be evaluations, guarantees. This has not been rushed. In the end, however, there was no alternative. English cricket will now put even more pressure on a man whose body and mind were already cracking under the strain. We can only hope for the best and wish you the best.