England Test captain Ben Stokes has declared his intent to push his team to the summit of the ICC Test rankings, as a crucial stretch of fixtures against Zimbabwe, India, and Australia awaits in the coming months. With England’s current ranking at No.2—behind only arch-rivals Australia—Stokes believes his side has what it takes to go one better.
“When the rankings came out, I did send Baz and Keysy a text saying, ‘We’ve got one more place to go’,” Stokes revealed in a pre-match press conference on the eve of the first Test against Zimbabwe, referencing head coach Brendon McCullum and managing director Rob Key.
Since taking over from Joe Root in 2022, Stokes has transformed England’s Test fortunes. Under his leadership, the side has surged from sixth place—its lowest points tally in 27 years—to a resurgent record of 22 wins in 35 matches. The climb up the rankings marks their most consistent form in over a decade, rekindling memories of the Andrew Strauss-led team that briefly held the top spot in 2011.
As Stokes prepares to lead England in a rare Test against Zimbabwe, a five-match home series against India, and an Ashes tour in Australia later this year, he emphasized a mindset focused on control and power, not just results.
“The word ‘ruthless’, I’m not a big fan of. The words I do love and what I’ve tried to instil in this team is ‘dominance’ and ‘dominate’,” he said. “Whatever situation we find ourselves in the game, that’s the word I want to be at the front of our heads.”
While England finished fifth in the most recent World Test Championship standings—hampered by 22 points docked for slow over-rates—Stokes pointed to the team’s ranking rise as vindication of his previous criticisms of the system.
“I did make some comments around the World Test Championship and they might make a little bit more sense now, considering we’ve jumped up to second,” he noted.
Despite injury setbacks, including a recurring hamstring issue that kept him out since December, Stokes is expected to return as a fully-fit allrounder in Nottingham against Zimbabwe. However, England’s management may ease him back into bowling duties as he regains full match fitness.
“Everyone knows when things are going well for us as a team we are incredibly hard to stop. We know it doesn’t always go that way,” Stokes added, cautioning that consistency will be key.
England’s defining run toward the Ashes
Following the upcoming Tests against Zimbabwe and India, England will shift their focus to reclaiming the Ashes on Australian soil in the 2025–26 NRMA Insurance Men’s Ashes series. The five-Test battle begins in Perth on November 21, and will feature day-night and traditional fixtures across Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney.
With the team gaining momentum and Stokes leading with vision and clarity, England’s path to the top of world cricket is in clear view. But injury management—especially Archer’s—and capitalizing on every opportunity in the WTC and beyond will be critical to realizing Stokes’s ambition.
