Newly-appointed England Test captain Joe Root backed to eclipse predecessor Alastair Cook
England cricket chief Colin Graves has backed newly-installed Test captain Joe Root to lead his country to loftier heights after he was confirmed as Alastair Cook’s successor.
As expected, the 26-year-old was named as the nation’s 80th Test skipper, replacing Cook who oversaw two Ashes victories, impressive series wins in India and South Africa and took England close to the No1 spot in the Test rankings last summer.
Root had been Cook’s vice-captain since 2015 and despite possessing limited captaincy experience – just four first-class matches – Graves believes England are primed for an upward trajectory under his stewardship.
“Joe is the perfect choice for England Test captain. I’m delighted that he has accepted the role and will now help to take the team to the next level,” said England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairman Graves, who previously held the same role at Yorkshire.
“Joe is a fine player and a fine person who has the respect of the players, the selectors and all at the ECB. He also has a changing room with experienced players and leaders who will support him from the start.
“The role of Test captain is an honour and a responsibility which he thoroughly deserves. Joe has maturity beyond his years and having seen him develop at Yorkshire over the last 10 years I know his qualities well.”
Root, who has played 53 Tests, will not be thrust into front-line action until July’s series with South Africa as limited-overs cricket and the Champions Trophy dominate the early part of the summer.
A home series with West Indies follows the four-Test showdown with South Africa before the winter tour of Australia, the scene of despair for Root’s predecessor Cook as England were trounced 5-0 in 2013-14.
“It’s a huge honour to be given the England Test captaincy,” said Root, who will be assisted by Ben Stokes after he was named vice-captain. “I feel privileged, humbled and very excited.
“We have a very good group of players and I’m looking forward to leading them out in the summer, building on Alastair’s achievements and making the most of our talents in the years ahead.”
Former captain Nasser Hussain, who captained England between 1999 and 2003, believes a Root-led side will adopt a more combative approach than teams under the most recent incumbents.
“I think he’ll be different to Cook,” said Hussain. “More in the face of the opposition, more blatantly in charge of the team. That’s Joe being Joe.
“We’ve played under a couple of defensive captains in [Andrew] Strauss and Cook. Does he need to take it on in a more aggressive way? He has aggressive players. He’s got to look at the side and create a culture going forward.
“Don’t be fooled by the boyish smile. He likes to joke around but there’s a very serious side to Joe Root. He’s a steely character.”