Once again a big change can be seen in English cricket. The return of experienced batsman Joe Root as captain of the Test team is considered almost certain. Many names were discussed for the captaincy seat vacant after Ben Stokes’s retirement from international cricket, but now the England and Wales Cricket Board i.e. ECB is preparing to repose confidence in the experienced Root.
Root ahead of Brook in the captaincy race
It is believed that this decision can be officially announced before the Test series against Pakistan starting next month. Although Ben Stokes’ vice-captain Harry Brook was being considered as the future captain, the board currently does not seem to be in favor of giving him this responsibility. According to media reports, the ECB believes that Brook should first be given a chance to concentrate completely on his game, while the team needs an experienced and stable leadership at this time.
Indications of this were also seen in the second Test against New Zealand. Stokes was suspended due to a controversy related to a London nightclub, then the command of the team was handed over not to Harry Brook but to Joe Root. The team management believed that at that time the leadership would be safer in the hands of an experienced player. Cricket experts are also comparing it with the period when Australia made Tim Paine the captain after the Steve Smith and David Warner controversy.
According to a report by The Athletic, the ECB is likely to appoint Joe Root as the captain for the three-match Test series against Pakistan starting on August 19. Not only this, the board is also considering keeping him in this role till the preparations for the prestigious Ashes series to be held next year.
who has been captain before
Joe Root has previously captained the England Test team from 2017 to 2022. He led the team in 64 Test matches and during this period led England to 27 victories. However, he stepped down from the captaincy after difficult tours of Australia and West Indies. Now once again England has its eyes on its most reliable batsman.
It is noteworthy that during his four-year tenure, Ben Stokes, along with head coach Brendon McCullum, changed the face of Test cricket in England. The aggressive baseball style led the team to many memorable victories against New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa. However, England could not get the expected success in the Ashes and Test series against India. Apart from the captain, England is yet to appoint the head coach of the Test team. After Brendon McCullum, Andy Flower was considered a strong contender for this post, but he refused to take this responsibility.
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