Joe Root quits as England Test captain; says 'timing is right'
Joe Root on Friday (April 14) announced his decision to step down as England Test captain with immediate effect.
The 31-year-old Root is England’s most successful Test captain with 27 wins and also holds the record for leading his country most times (64) in the longer format of the game.
In 2017, Root took over the captaincy reins from Alastair Cook. In recent times, he has been under pressure after winning just one of the last 17 Tests. Recently, under his leadership, the team lost 0-1 to the host in the West Indies.
Among Root’s memorable series victories are a 4-1 home series win over India in 2018, a 3-1 triumph away to South Africa in 2020. In 2018, he became the first England men’s captain to win a Test series in Sri Lanka since 2001. He went on to repeat that feat with a 2-0 victory in Sri Lanka in 2021. He scored 14 Test centuries as captain.
As England Men’s Test captain:
🥇 Most Matches (64)
🥇 Most Wins (27)
🥇 Most Runs (5295)End of an era. pic.twitter.com/RH2ioeIzNi
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) April 15, 2022
Calling it “the most challenging decision”, Root said the timing of him resigning from the leadership role is “right”.
“After returning from the Caribbean tour and having time to reflect, I have decided to step down as England Men’s Test captain. It has been the most challenging decision I have had to make in my career but having discussed this with my family and those closest to me; I know the timing is right,” Root said.
“I am immensely proud to have captained my country and will look back on the past five years with enormous pride. It has been an honour to have done the job and to have been a custodian of what is the pinnacle of English cricket. I have loved leading my country, but recently it’s hit home how much of a toll it has taken on me and the impact it has had on me away from the game,” he added.
