Next England Cricket Captain Odds: Harry Brook Favourite To Replace Ben Stokes
Ben Stokes has announced he will retire from international cricket after the third Test against New Zealand, bringing an end to one of England's most influential captaincy reigns and leaving the ECB with a major decision to make as attention turns to the next England captain odds.
The 35-year-old transformed England's Test side after taking over as captain in 2022, alongside Brendon McCullum, with the pair spearheading the aggressive "Bazball" era.
His departure marks the end of a defining chapter, but England will be determined to maintain that attacking identity under McCullum, who remains in place through to the 2027 home Ashes.
Stokes' exit comes after a dramatic period, with the all-rounder dropped for the second Test at The Oval following a breach of the team curfew, leaving Joe Root to step in as interim captain.
Now the ECB must decide who can lead the next phase of the Test side.
Here at Free Bets, we take a closer look at the leading candidates and assess who is most likely to become England's next Test captain.
Next England Cricket Captain Odds
With Stokes stepping aside, attention turns to who leads England into the new era.
Below we assess the most likely candidates in the betting market.
| Candidate | Next England Cricket Captain Odds |
| Harry Brook | 1/3 |
| Jamie Smith | 6/1 |
| Ollie Pope | 8/1 |
| Jacob Bethell | 10/1 |
Odds are implied probabilities based on current transfer reporting - no current markets are available at UKÂ betting sites.
Harry Brook
Brook is the runaway favourite, and the appointment would surprise nobody.
The 26-year-old has effectively been groomed for the role - he was named Stokes's Test vice-captain ahead of the Ashes and is already England's permanent white-ball captain, having taken over the one-day and T20 sides.
He is also the form batter in world cricket, sitting top of the ICC Test batting rankings, and is the first name on the team sheet.
A McCullum favourite with the leadership credentials already in place, he ticks almost every box.
There are two genuine complications.
The first is workload - handing Brook the Test captaincy on top of both white-ball jobs would make him one of the most heavily burdened players in the game.
The second is the awkward timing - Brook was at the centre of his own off-field incident in New Zealand earlier this year, which sits uncomfortably with an England reset partly triggered by discipline issues.
For all that, he remains the obvious long-term choice, and the market reflects it.
Jamie Smith
If England want to look to the future, Smith is the most intriguing alternative.
The wicketkeeper-batter, who turns 26 in July, has been one of the standout successes of the McCullum era and holds the record for the highest Test score by an England gloveman.
He has captaincy experience from his Surrey days and is firmly established in the side.
The obvious question mark is whether England would want to add the captaincy to the demands of full-time wicketkeeping, which is a heavy double load.
Ollie Pope
Pope has more England captaincy experience than almost anyone in the running, having deputised for Stokes on several occasions.
The problem is that his standing has slipped.
He lost the vice-captaincy to Brook, was dropped during the Ashes, and his place in the XI is no longer guaranteed.
That makes it hard to see him leapfrogging back into the top job, and he now looks more like a senior squad figure than a captain-in-waiting.
Jacob Bethell
Bethell is the name most associated with England's longer-term plans.
Still only 22, he has already captained England in one-day cricket, scored an Ashes century and offers genuine all-round value with his left-arm spin and brilliant fielding.
The case against is simply experience - with only a handful of Tests behind him, appointing him now would be a significant gamble.
He is far more likely to be developed into a future leader than to be handed the role immediately.
