Joe Root must give up T20 cricket if he is to stand tall again for England

On his knees: Joe Root watches the Ashes slip away but he is still the best man to lead an England revival
Getty Images
Will Macpherson10 September 2019

The easy response to England’s Ashes surrender would be to sack the captain. After all, this was Joe Root’s second defeat to Australia in two attempts since taking over 32 Tests ago.

Not many captains get a third shot but Root should and, as long as Ashley Giles’s choice as new coach does not have a strong view on him, surely will.

Many of the criticisms of Root’s captaincy are valid. Tactically, he can move too early or too late and he can appear timid. Under him, England have made some odd selections.

His batting has paid a price, with his captaincy average down to 40 from 52 and his position in the order unsettled. Root is not a Vaughan-like visionary or a Strauss-like statesman.

And this series things have been laid bare. Partly by England’s occasional passivity, the tactical jerkiness to Steve Smith, and partly by his own batting. Mainly, it has been revealed by results.

The comparison with Smith is unflattering, but Root knows he has had a poor series regardless: three fifties, but also three ducks in five innings. Never before in a series has he has fallen four times in his first 20 balls.

It might seem representative of a wider malaise. Root’s conversion rate remains an issue. In the past two years, he has failed to convert 11 half-centuries, while making three centuries — all in wins in the second innings and two in dead rubbers, although both when he needed to find some form. Root is the youngest of the ‘Fab Four’, including Smith, Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson, but also in danger of falling behind (their Andy Murray, as some have taken to calling him).

In 2015, he and Smith jostled, but in the past 10 Ashes Tests, one has seven centuries and four more fifties, while Root has eight unconverted half-centuries. Smith’s career average has risen well into the sixties, while Root’s has dropped into the forties.

England’s greatest batting asset is being compromised by the captaincy, which has tired him. There is much talk about Smith picking up just 20 hours’ sleep during Tests, because he is so absorbed by his batting. But Root does not eat or sleep much either, because he is thinking so much about the job.

Smith hit the third double-ton of his career, with both of the previous two having come against England
AP

All of which might sound like a change is required to improve England and get the best from Root. But the 28-year-old is a dutiful man. Publicly stripping him of the captaincy for another candidate would hardly delight him. And let’s face it, that person would be inferior.

Ben Stokes is burdened enough and, as a bowler — chuck Stuart Broad in here — will miss games occasionally.

Jos Buttler does not have the record and Rory Burns is still finding his way. Root’s Ashes record as captain bears a little more scrutiny than simply six defeats and one miracle win in nine matches.

The first five of those were a hospital pass: his first winter in the job, three of the top five new, no bowler over 85mph and his star all-rounder and best mate banned for brawling, weakening the team and bringing increased media scrutiny.

Root ended that series face down in a darkened dressing room with a virus contracted at his son’s first birthday party, but somehow he had kept the wheels from totally falling off the wagon.

This time, the batting has been an issue. But it is hard to remember a set of quicks bowling so well at an individual England batsman. He has been given nothing to cut, which he loves, and Australia have relentlessly targeted his stumps, an issue they spotted at Brisbane in 2017. Root’s three ducks have all come to superb balls, when an opener has fallen early.

Indeed, despite Burns doing well, an opener has always fallen early: England’s first wicket is averaging under 11. Trevor Bayliss is more of a traditionalist than he gets credit for, but one of the few things he has had a strong view on is Root batting No3. That pricked Root’s sense of duty again, to his detriment.

He offers enough that England need to change things around him, not him. A move back to No4, for starters.

Root’s next central contract needs to be hefty enough that he abandons all thoughts of playing T20 leagues, as he did in the Big Bash at Christmas, when he should have been resting. England’s white-ball teams bring some levity to his life, but he will surely consider giving up trying to get in their T20 team, too.

Bayliss’s replacement needs to be strong enough to take some slack from Root, but he is the best-placed candidate to lead an England revival.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in