Former England captain Michael Vaughan on Tuesday said that he wants Joe Root to step down as skipper. The 47-year-old made the statement after the side’s loss to West Indies 1-0 in an away Test series.
Root was made England’s captain in 2017. In 64 Test matches as leader, the 31-year-old has managed to win 27 and lose 26. The team was thrashed 4-0 in the Ashes before the West Indies series and his position, on whether he should remain captain, is under spotlight.
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Former England captains Michael Atherton, Nasser Hussain and Michael Vaughan have already urged Root to step down. However, the Yorkshire player, after the defeat against Windies, insisted that he had not been reconsidering his position. He suggested that the squad had made “big improvements” and played some “brilliant cricket” after the Ashes loss.
Vaughan, who led England in 51 Test matches, winning 26, said that Root has been poor tactically.
“He’s taken it as far as he possibly can. If he rings me in the next week and asks for some advice I’ll be dead honest — I’d tell him to step down. Will England be any worse off not having him as a captain? I don’t think they would, because they are going to get his runs and a senior player,” Vaughan told the BBC.
Ashley Giles stepped down as England’s Director of Cricket after the Ashes loss. Chris Silverwood is no longer the coach. Former captain Andrew Strauss and Paul Collingwood have taken the roles respectively.
“I wouldn’t want the new director of cricket or head coach to sack him — he’s deserved the right to go on his own ground. During his reign I don’t think he has been helped at all. His first Ashes series there was the Ben Stokes incident (a late night fracas outside a Bristol bar), then we had the white-ball reset, then he’s had COVID and it’s been very difficult,” said Vaughan.
Vaughan added that he thinks that ‘captains should pride themselves on maximising every ounce of potential in the changing room’.
“Tactically he has been poor,” said Vaughan.
“It has been a common trend under Joe — he hasn’t managed to grab a game. If he does carry on he’ll really need someone who can drive the tactical side of the game with him.”
