Stokes will cover for Root as he attends the birth of his childBen Stokes looks set to captain England’s first Test match against West Indies, with Joe Root expected to leave the team base in Southampton later this week for the birth of his second child. The strict Covid-19 protocols that have been put in place mean that Root will have to self-isolate at home for seven days after being at the hospital for the birth before he is allowed to return to the biosecure bubble. That means it is unlikely he would be available for the start of the first Test at the Ageas Bowl a week on Wednesday but he is expected to rejoin the squad for the second Test at Emirates Old Trafford the week after. It would be Stokes’s first match as England

Source: The Times June 28, 2020 23:14 UTC