Will this ex-Worksop College student captain England Test side?

Root has been considered favourite to succeed Cook for a long time and if chosen to take on the position with the test side will captain England against South Africa and West Indies this summer.

The action doesn’t begin until July but with an Ashes tour awaiting in November a decision is expected to be made sooner rather than later, according to reports.

Notts all-rounder Stuart Broad was first to pay tribute to outgoing skipper, Cook, who will be fondly remembered for Ashes victories in 2013 and 2015 as well as series win in India and South Africa.

He published a picture of Cook with the Ashes urn on his Twitter account, which simply stated: “Thanks Skip!”

Cook, 32, was appointed captain in August 2012 and has gone on to lead the team in test matches more than any other captain before him, he has more centuries to hiis name than any previous captain and has 11,057 runs in 140 tests to date.

Despite stepping down as captain, Cook has stated his intentions to continue playing for England.

He said: “It’s been a huge honour to be England captain and to lead the test team over the past five years.

“Stepping down has been an incredibly hard decision but I know this is the correct decision for me and at the right time for the team.

“I’ve had time to reflect after the India series and this weekend I spoke to Colin Graves, the chairman, to explain and offer my resignation.

“It’s a sad day personally in many ways but I want to thank everyone I’ve captained, all the coaches and support staff and, of course, the England supporters and the Barmy Army who follow us home and away and have given us unwavering support.

“Playing for England really is a privilege and I hope to carry on as a test player, making a full contribution and helping the next England captain and the team however I can.”