Joe Root stepped down as England’s Test captain on Friday after five years in the job. The 31-year-old left the role after having led the side in 64 Tests, including 27 wins and 26 defeats.

Announcing his decision in a press release, Root said that he feels the “timing is right.”

“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,” Root said in the statement.

“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,” he added. 

Early life

Root was born on December 30, 1990, to Helen and Matt Root. He spent his childhood in the village of Dore in Sheffield. He attended Sheffield’s Dore Primary and King Ecgbert School and then went on to attend Worksop College as a weekly boarder on a cricket scholarship. 

Root hails from a family with an impressive cricketing background. His younger brother, Billy, plays cricket for the Glamorgan County Cricket Club. 

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Career

 After garnering several cricket scholarships, Root went on to land a professional contract with Yorkshire, thanks to his Man of the Series performance for England Under-19 against Bangladesh Under-19 in 2010. 

In 2012, Root’s consistency and flair helped him earn a Test birth as he was picked for England’s historic Indian sojourn.

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In the 2013 Ashes, he scored a brilliant 180 in the second innings of the second Test at Lord’s.

After proving his cricketing talent in all formats throughout the years, Root took over as a Test captain in February 2017 as Alastair Cook stepped down after four years in the job.

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Family

In 2016, Root got engaged to Caroline Cotterell. Their son, Alfred William, was born on January 7, 2017. The couple tied the knot on December 1, 2018, and welcomed their second child, Isabella, on July 8, 2020.