One win in his last 17 Tests as captain before Joe Root decided to step down from England captaincy. Ben Stokes came in, and Ollie Pope was deputised. Pope was removed and then England looked at Harry Brook as the long-term successor. Yet, when Stokes hit the headlines following a boozy brawl after winning the ENG vs NZ 1st Test, the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) turned to their former Test captain with one of the worst captaincy records, instead of handing the reins over to Brook, who was in a similar situation in Australia during the Ashes. And England’s most sober man in a team with a drinking problem, Root, is now taking it “game by game” and is not ruling out an extended stay as the captain.
Joe Root does not want the fans to look beyond the week, as the ECB has launched an investigation into the brawl that involved Ben Stokes, Gus Atkinson and a rugby player. The incident left a security personnel with some stitches.
“To be captaining this group of players is a really exciting opportunity. It’s a game-by-game basis, I think. Let’s not look beyond this week,” Joe Root said ahead of the ENG vs NZ Oval Test, which starts on June 17.
Back in the job again
Root previously held the captaincy for a record 64 Tests between 2017 and 2022, before stepping down because of the mental toll the job took on him. This time, he didn’t hesitate to take it back and looked far more at ease than he did in his final days in the role, fielding questions from the press about his second spell in charge.
“I never thought I’d be sitting here talking to you guys as England captain again. Zero chance…0.1 per cent. The only thinking that came to my mind is what is the best thing for this team, is it going to have a big effect on me and my personal life and which outweighed the other,” Root said.
England captaincy still up in the air
Who leads the team beyond this series is still unclear. Head coach Brendon McCullum has said he’s worried for Stokes. But he has left any official ruling to the ongoing ECB investigation into the late-night curfew breach.
Even though Harry Brook is the natural successor, until the ECB controls the damage, Root is widely expected to stay on as captain for the third Test at Trent Bridge straight after the ENG vs NZ Oval Test.
The team then has a seven-week gap before the next series, against Pakistan, which should give the ECB plenty of time to wrap up its process. What isn’t clear yet is whether Stokes gets his old job back, returns just as a player, or leaves the setup completely.
Joe Root backs Ben Stokes
Despite Stokes breaking a curfew he helped set himself, Root remains supportive of his teammate and close friend.
“I’ve spoken to him a number of times over the last week or so. We’re close friends, and I think they should stay as privileged conversations between me and him. When it comes to how Ben’s feeling, how he is, I think they’re all questions that he should be answering himself. I’m sure, at the right time and when he’s ready, he will,” Root added.
Asked whether Stokes could keep his authority in the dressing room after the breach, Root was adamant about his teammate’s standing.
“I’m sure he has this respect of everyone in our dressing room. He’s been a phenomenal leader for the last four years and the way he’s captained been brilliant. We’ve achieved some wonderful things as a team and won a hell of a lot of Test matches. He’s a talismanic player and a great friend to a number of the guys, so of course there’s a huge amount of respect there from everyone,” Root said.
Root captaincy saga
While Root is the temporary solution to England’s drinking problem, his return comes with its own baggage. He might be England’s longest-serving Test captain, but he ended his 64-match stint with a win percentage of just 42.18.
Under his captaincy, England won just one match in Root’s last 17 Tests, including humiliating series losses in India, Australia and West Indies. England failed to win the home series against India and the Ashes at home. Root is aware of his record as the captain, and he is not ruling out difficult phases either.
“The fact is, it felt like it was the right thing to take this on, so I tried to make it as simple as that. I think I am in a very different place from when I finished. It’s fair to say that over my five years as captain, there were difficult periods, and there are certain times when things can get difficult,” Root said.
England Test captaincy records
| Player | Span | M | W | L | D | W% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Root | 2017-2022 | 64 | 27 | 26 | 11 | 42.18 |
| Alastair Cook | 2010-2016 | 59 | 24 | 22 | 13 | 40.67 |
| Michael Atherton | 1993-2001 | 54 | 13 | 21 | 20 | 24.07 |
| Michael Vaughan | 2003-2008 | 51 | 26 | 11 | 14 | 50.98 |
| Andrew Strauss | 2006-2012 | 50 | 24 | 11 | 15 | 48.00 |
| Nasser Hussain | 1999-2003 | 45 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 37.77 |
| Ben Stokes | 2020-2026 | 43 | 24 | 17 | 2 | 55.81 |
| Peter May | 1955-1961 | 41 | 20 | 10 | 11 | 48.78 |
| Graham Gooch | 1988-1993 | 34 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 29.41 |
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