The three-match Test series against New Zealand at home is nothing less than an acid test for skipper Ben Stokes and his team. It will be their first outing since their abysmal performance against their arch-rival Australia during the Ashes 2025-26, where the England cricket team had to return with a 1-4 scoreline.

Ben Stokes, the skipper of England’s Test team, was under scrutiny after their dismal performance during the Ashes, and his and his team’s performances will be under scrutiny as well during the 3-match Test series against New Zealand.

From the best hotel rooms to allowance, Ben Stokes reveals the extra privileges

Ahead of the first of the 3-match series, Ben Stokes reveals which advantages he receives as the leader of the team. The seam bowling all-rounder accepted that as the captain of the team, he receives extra privileges on multiple occasions.

During a quick chat session with Sky Sports, Ben Stokes mentions that as he is the captain of the England cricket team, he gets to stay in the most luxurious suite in every hotel, which is a very nice thing for him. The room ECB allots for him is the best. Additionally, as the leader of the team, he is blessed with an extra allowance as well, which is mentioned as the captain's allowance.

"It does come with extra privileges. Yes. I actually get a suit at every hotel we stay at now, which is very nice. I get the best room out of everyone, and yeah, that's always been a thing. You might get this little thing called a captain's Allowance, which is a little perk."

"But no, you don't get any access to any special parts of the grounds that other people don't. But you do get looked after pretty well," Stokes said in the video.

Does Ben Stokes get extra privileges as England captain? 💭 pic.twitter.com/WEFSkxvVNw

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 3, 2026

There is an incentive system as well for the England cricketers

There is no secret that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is among the richest cricket governing bodies across the continents, and they pay handsome payments to their top-tier players.

According to several media reports, the annual contract of England cricketers could be up to £900,000 per year. The payment of a player could depend on which format he represents the team in.

If a player of England’s men’s national cricket team plays only in a limited-overs format, then his pay scale is expected to be lower than that of a player who represents the team in every format of the game. There are some incentives as well. According to reports, England players also receive impressive match fees, depending on the format of the match.

Stokes is not experiencing the peak of his career

The last time Ben Stokes played for the national side was during the Ashes. In 5 games and 10 innings of the series, the England captain registered only a couple of half-centuries, and in seven innings, he was dismissed before reaching the 20-run mark.

In the lead-up to the Tests against New Zealand, his form with the Durham cricket team was also not up to the mark, as he got only 14 and 45 runs in two matches, and claimed 5 wickets in total with the ball.