Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen does not think Ben Stokes should take the Test captaincy if Joe Root is forced to miss a game against the West Indies.
Root's wife is due to give birth in July, putting the skipper at risk of missing one of the three behind-closed-doors Tests with the Windies next month.
The batsman has already gone on record as saying he would back Stokes to do a good job in his absence, but Pietersen is wary about the mercurial all-rounder assuming even more responsibility.
England begin their summer of cricket, which has been seriously affected by the coronavirus pandemic, on July 8 with the first of three Tests against the West Indies.
Further matches against Pakistan, Australia and Ireland are all pencilled in, but they are all likely to be played in front of empty stadiums.
And Pietersen says that will present Root's side with a different challenge.
"I would rather be in the broadcaster chair than in the players' chair because entertainers like atmosphere and you are going to have to build your own atmosphere and dig as deep as you can to try your best and perform in front of a whisper," he added.
"It is going to be hard, especially for cricket.
"Six hours, when you're in the field and guys are batting and you're 100 overs into an innings, England are going to have to dig deep because it is going to feel like a warm-up game, with no one watching."
