Joe Root Needs To Continue As England Captain: Michael Vaughan

Former skipper Michael Vaughan has opined that under-fire Joe Root needs to carry on as England captain despite his team trailing 0-3 in the ongoing Ashes 2021-22 in Australia. The fourth Test will begin in Sydney at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) from January 5, 2022.

Root, who has been captain of the England Test side for the last five years, has been widely criticized by both Australian and England cricket experts for a meek surrender of the Ashes series to Australia.

England lost the Brisbane Test by 9 wickets, the day-night Test in Adelaide by a huge 275 runs, and the third Test in Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) by an innings and 14 runs after being bowled out for 68 runs in their second innings.

“If Joe (Root) can get a victory it will give him a clear insight into what this team needs to do to be successful. I hope he carries on,” Vaughan wrote in a column for The Telegraph.

Changes Still Need To Happen: Michael Vaughan

Vaughan’s comments are in stark dissimilarity to the estimation of England great Geoffrey Boycott, who asked Root to step down, and Michael Atherton, who recommended Ben Stokes as a worthwhile alternative for the captaincy.

“I can’t see anyone else doing the job in the circumstances they are in at the moment. It is best if he carries on and lays the foundation for the cricket England needs to play across the world. But if he gets a win or two it must not paper over the cracks. Changes still need to happen,” Vaughan wrote.

Vaughan added that England could not use a lack of preparation due to COVID-19 as an excuse, and said the team had to come to terms with their red-ball decline.

“I don’t want to hear any excuses any more. This has been building for a long time. It is not just because they are in a bio-bubble. This was happening well before COVID-19. Obviously they were on the decline as a Test team but they did not see it or they did not want to admit it. They were stubborn and thought they knew best,” Vaughan said.

The fourth Ashes Test will begin in Sydney on Jan. 5.

Also Read: Ashes 2021-22: Joe Root Terms Captaincy Talks A ‘Distraction’; Calls For Focus On Final Two Tests