England Test captain Ben Stokes has managed to add another feather in the cap with respect to his captaincy career. With England playing Test cricket in Pakistan after 17 years, Stokes has become the third English captain after Ted Dexter and Nasser Hussain to win a Test series in this country.
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Managing to defend a 300+ target for the second time in a row albeit in close encounters, victories in Rawalpindi and Multan have powered England to an unassailable 2-0 lead in a three-match series.
Irrespective of its duration, Stokes’ era as captain will always be talked about in association with head coach Brendon McCullum. Having laid emphasis on pushing for results even at the cost of losing on this tour of Pakistan, Stokes-McCullum partnership has convincingly managed to register a victory in its first overseas series.
It would be an understatement to say that Stokes and McCullum are inspiring this English team to play a fearless brand of cricket. In all honesty, Stokes and McCullum are making these players play in a way which has it in it to change the way Test cricket has been played for the last 145 years. Having justified their all-attack approach in Pakistan, England have become all the more dangerous ahead of Ashes 2023 at home.
Ben Stokes captaincy record (Updated on July 31, 2023)
Against West Indies in the summer of 2020, Stokes’ first Test as England captain had come with him covering for his predecessor Joe Root. It was only a couple of years later ahead of 2022’s English summer that Stokes was promoted as a full-time Test captain.
Stokes, who had led England to a loss in his first Test, has led them to a total of 13 wins and five losses in his 19-match captaincy career thus far. Stokes, who has led England to three Test series victories, is yet to lose a Test series as captain.
Ben Stokes Test match as captain full list (updated on July 31, 2023)
| S. No. | Opposition | Result | Venue | Year |
| 1 | West Indies | West Indies won by 4 wickets | The Rose Bowl | 2020 |
| 2 | New Zealand | England won by 5 wickets | Lord’s | 2022 |
| 3 | New Zealand | England won by 5 wickets | Trent Bridge | 2022 |
| 4 | New Zealand | England won by 7 wickets | Headingley | 2022 |
| 5 | India | England won by 7 wickets | Edgbaston | 2022 |
| 6 | South Africa | South Africa won by an innings and 12 runs | Lord’s | 2022 |
| 7 | South Africa | England won by an innings and 85 runs | Old Trafford | 2022 |
| 8 | South Africa | England won by 9 wickets | The Oval | 2022 |
| 9 | Pakistan | England won by 74 runs | Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium | 2022 |
| 10 | Pakistan | England won by 26 runs | Multan Cricket Stadium | 2022 |
| 11 | Pakistan | England won by 8 wickets | National Stadium | 2022 |
| 12 | New Zealand | England won by 267 runs | Bay Oval | 2023 |
| 13 | New Zealand | New Zealand won by 1 run | Basin Reserve | 2023 |
| 14 | Ireland | England won by 10 wickets | Lord’s | 2023 |
| 15 | Australia | Australia won by 2 wickets | Edgbaston | 2023 |
| 16 | Australia | Australia won by 43 runs | Lord’s | 2023 |
| 17 | Australia | England won by 3 wickets | Headingley | 2023 |
| 18 | Australia | Drawn | Old Trafford | 2023 |
| 19 | Australia | England won by 49 runs | The Oval | 2023 |
