Joe Root may be devoted to England’s Test captaincy, but should he keep it after the West Indies’ most recent humiliation? The 31-year-old Joe Root’s captaincy has come under doubt as he stated in January that he wanted to assist in the rebuilding of England’s red-ball fortunes.
After the Caribbean team’s humiliating 4-0 Ashes series defeat in Australia, he continued to lead the team. After a stunning 10-wicket defeat over the West Indies on Sunday, England lost the series to Grenada by a score of 1-0.
In 17 Tests, under Joe Root’s captaincy, England has only managed one victory, and England has failed to win a series in five of his previous five attempts.
He was adamant about getting the team to the next level on Sunday.
“I have the impression that my team is rooting for me.” Despite the fact that I am aware that this is a results-driven industry, it does not appear that we are far from turning the tide.
Root’s future as captain may have been decided after five years in command and a record 64 matches.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) fired managing director Ashley Giles and Chris Silverwood after the Ashes debacle, with former Test players Paul Collingwood and Andrew Strauss taking over as interim directors.
Until then, he will continue to run the ECB as an interim leader. Joe Root’s captaincy is unlikely to change because England’s next Test against New Zealand is in June at Lord’s.
“We’ve reached the end of the road.” Artherton on Joe Root’s Captaincy
Former England captain Mike Atherton, on the other hand, was adamant that Joe Root’s captaincy was not “untenable.”
In The Times, Atherton stated that Root had “as was evident for everybody there in Australia” reached the end of his captaincy.
When Alastair Cook resigned in 2017, Root, a cricketer who was guaranteed a place in the XI, was the obvious candidate for the captaincy.
Unlike many other England captains, Root has been consistent. The root has the greatest tourist batting average in the West Indies, with 1,708 Test runs hit in 2021, the third highest number in any calendar year.
However, questions regarding his capacity to be a strong leader with the necessary tactical skills have grown in recent months.
After England’s contentious decision to leave James Anderson and Stuart Broad — their most successful Test bowlers — out of the Caribbean squad, Nasser Hussain, a former skipper, accused Root of lacking a “instinctive sensibility for the captain’s game” and being part of a “cop-out.”
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Hussain stated that while he wants to be liked by his teammates, winning Tests requires more.
“You need those tough people from time to time, even though they’re difficult to teach and captain.”
Who should be England’s captain if Joe Root’s Captaincy is in doubt?
Ben Stokes made an impression as a white-ball captain in Pakistan following the Covid-19 outbreak.
However, he immediately took a break from the game to “prioritise [his mental health],” and England will be wary of adding to his burden.
Even if it’s only for a short while, broad is a possibility. Even though it has been 40 years since England appointed a paceman as captain (the late Bob Willis), there are still concerns regarding quicks’ bowling objectivity.
However, Pat Cummins’ achievement in leading Australia to a series victory in Pakistan following an Ashes victory at home may have changed English opinions.
If England’s collapse continues, like it did in Grenada, where they were removed for 120 runs and the West Indies were left with only 28 points to win, the captain’s job will be difficult.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan told BT Sport that the Test match side will not become a squad that wins series after series. This is true even when the weather is English.
After a match in which Root’s fellow Yorkshire batsman was “a far short” tactically, he was harsh in his evaluation of Root’s captaincy.