Alastair Cook Talks About Joe Root's Future As England Test Captain After Ashes Loss

Former England captain Alastair Cook said that Joe Root himself will have to decide himself on continuing as England’s Test captain.

England ended their disastrous Ashes campaign with a 146-run loss to Australia in Hobart to suffer a humiliating 4-0 Ashes defeat.

Despite being in the command of the 270-run chase after openers Zak Crawley and Rory Burns provided an excellent start with their alliance of 68 for the opening stand, England’s batting order collapsed in the blink of an eye.

England lost 10 wickets for 56 runs on the third day of the Hobart Test as the visitors were bowled out for 124 after Australian all-rounder Cameron Green turned the game with his brilliant spell.

Joe Root isn’t the right man to usher in a new era: Alastair Cook

As England lost the series in Melbourne after they were routed 3-0 by Australia, many experts called out for a change in a leadership role. However, Root has expressed his willingness to continue in the role with leaving the rest to the board.

Cook said that Root might not be the right choice to usher the England Test side in the new era.

“In press conferences since the defeat in Melbourne, Joe has said he wants to carry on. But that’s what you have to say while there are still two Tests to play,” Cook wrote in his column for The Times.

“It may well be when he gets home, away from the heat of the international arena, and considers the reset that English red-ball cricket clearly needs, that he decides he too isn’t the right man to usher in a new era. Only Joe will know, and I respect his decision either way,” he further added.

The neglect of red-ball cricket caught up with England in 2021: Alastair Cook

England have just won twice in their last 15 Tests and the need of the hour for them is a restructure in their red-ball format.

Cook said that England have always enjoyed playing in their home conditions and also pointed out that apart from winning against Sri Lanka last year, the Joe Root-led side hasn’t anything to boast about.

“2021 was the year that the neglect of red-ball cricket caught up with England. We got away with it in recent years because we usually won in English conditions and occasionally enjoyed a morale-boosting series victory overseas to paper over the cracks,” Cook said.

“In 2021, the cracks burst through the paper. Take out the series win against a weak Sri Lanka, and you are looking at two wins and nine defeats from 13,” he added. 

England will tour the West Indies later this month to play five T20 International matches before they start the three-match Test series in March.

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