Joe Root has resigned as captain of the men’s test in England after a five-year term in office. The pressure intensified on the 31-year-old after horrific test results culminating in the 4-0 defeat of Ashes and the subsequent 1-0 defeat in the West Indies.
Root holds the record for most men to win England’s men’s test, with 27 ahead of Michael Vaughn and three ahead of Sir Alistair Cook and Sir Andrew Strauss. But the last 12 months have been bleak. After winning its first three tests in 2021, England have won just one since, losing 11 and finishing five of the last 17.
“After returning from the Caribbean tour and having time to think, I decided to retire,” Root said. “It was the most challenging decision I had to make in my career, but after discussing it with my family and the people closest to me; I know the weather is right.
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“I am extremely proud to have been the captain of my country and I will look back on the last five years with great pride. It was an honor for me to do the job and be the guardian of what is the pinnacle of English cricket. I loved running my country, but lately I’ve realized how much weight it has taken away from me and the impact it has had on me outside of the game.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank my family, who have been through all this with me and have been an incredible pillar of love and support all along. All the players, coaches and support staff who helped me during my term. It was a great privilege to be with them on this journey. I would also like to thank all the supporters of England for their unwavering support. We are lucky to have the best fans in the world and wherever we play, this positivity is something we always appreciate and admire, which is a huge incentive for all of us there.
“I am excited to continue to represent [team] and producing performances that will allow the team to succeed. I look forward to helping the next captain, my teammates and coaches as much as I can. ”
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ECB Chief Executive Officer Tom Harrison said: “Joe was an outstanding role model during his tenure, balancing the test captain’s requirements while continuing to shine brilliantly through his own personal performances. He leads by example and this has led to more test victories than any other England captain, along with a number of notable home and away series victories.
“Joe’s leadership qualities were illustrated by how he led the team through some of the most difficult and uncertain times we know, playing during a pandemic around the world, which speaks volumes about him as a leader and as a person.
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