Calcutta: Stuart Broad has thrown his weight behind Joe Root to be the next England Test captain, following Alastair Cook's stepping down from the top post.

According to reports, Root, Broad and all-rounder Ben Stokes are believed to be the leading contenders to replace Cook, who gave up captaincy after the disastrous tour of India.

Broad, who received an MBE for his services to cricket at Buckingham Palace this week, feels it would be the right decision to offer the job to one of his younger team-mates. But at the same time, the 30-year-old stressed that he would never reject the chance to captain his country if the England and Wales Cricket Board offered the role to him.

"I can't imagine a scenario where a professional sportsman would turn down the chance to captain their country if the offer was made, and I'm no different," Broad wrote in his column for the Mail on Sunday.

"But for me, it feels time for the next generation to be given that responsibility. I'm more than happy to be a strong senior player who helps guide that evolution.

"For me, in the best interests of the team in the medium and long term, I believe a younger modern-day captain is the way to go.

"Joe Root looks like just the man for the job for me. He's not had a lot of captaincy experience, so he will have to learn on the job, but he wouldn't be the first England captain to have to do that.

"The whole point of having a new captain is so they can bring a different type of energy and ideas to the group. Joe is the best player in the team and he's in a position where his game can cope with the pressures of captaining England."