Joe Root will bat at four, confirms skipper Ben Stokes

The newly-appointed captain of the England side in the longest format of the game, Ben Stokes, has confirmed that Joe Root will return to his original spot of batting at number four when the team takes on New Zealand at Lord's in a month's time. 

While the former skipper batted at number four all through the Ashes series and the last season, Root moved a position up to solve England's top-order muddle. 

The right-handed batter scored two centuries in his last tour at the helm in the Windies before resigning from the post after much deliberation. Stokes does not want Root to sacrifice his most prolific batting slot despite the hundreds, where he averages 51.27. 

"I've already spoken with him. I've asked him to go back to four, and I will be at six," Stokes revealed. 

"Wherever Joe bats, he gets runs, but his best position is at four. I feel him at four and me at six gives us a bit of experience in the gap. So, you can obviously see where the places are opening up for people to put their hands up: it's three and five," he further added. 

On the bowling front, England opted to tour the Caribbean without their senior pacers, James Anderson and Stuart Broad. However, the all-arounder has publicly endorsed the return of the veteran seamers in the playing XI.  

With the bubble taking a toll on the well-being of the players, England used the roration policy, especially for their fast bowlers. However, Stokes wants the England side to field their best XI whenever they step onto the ground. 

"You look at the players who aren't available through injury, Wood, Archer, Stone, Curran, and they'd all be seriously fighting for places," Stokes said.

"Then you place them among Broady, Jimmy, Robbo, Woakesy...it's so exciting to think about the team we could put out there if we don't have any injuries. 

Unfortunately, we do. We just have to pick the best XI we have to choose from, and I'll always make sure we do that." he concluded.