Lonely Joe needs help from troops
GRAHAM GOOCH believes England’s Ashes stars must rally around struggling skipper Joe Root.
Despite a solid first day of the third Test in Perth, some of England’s top-order batsmen continued to falter and Root reached only 20 before being caught by Tim Paine.
Gooch, who captained England in 34 Test matches, says Root’s team-mates need to forget about hierarchy and support the 26-year-old.
“There’s a lot of truth that when you get to that level, people tend to leave you alone,” said Gooch.
“Your job is to help other people but not many people help you. When you’re at the top of the pile and captain of England, you’re not only leading your team but your country.
“All the players can do is reaffirm their belief in his ability and it will come right.” Gooch is adamant that the level of responsibility on Root is not a factor.
“I don’t subscribe to the view that the captaincy is a pressure on a player,” he said.
“Root is not getting the runs we hoped for because Australia are bowling well. They’ve been too good in the first two Tests and we need to turn that around.”
Gooch holds the rare distinction of averaging more runs as captain than as a player. He averaged 58.72 as skipper compared with 33.25 after stepping down in 1993. The 64-year-old has urged Root to tap into his patriotic spirit to raise his game.
“When I was captain I had my best period,” said Gooch. “The responsibility and honour of being in charge and leading my country inspired me.
“It gives you extra direction. Taking the team on to the field, that’s what you play for. It also gives you the chance to set the direction and shape of your team. I treated that as a privilege. It inspired me.”
With England 2-0 down, a result in Perth is crucial if they want to save the series and Gooch has warned that defeat would be humiliating. “Australia is a great place to play,” he said. “It’s the ultimate test for an English cricketer. My best memory was in 2010 when I was on the coaching staff – we drew in Brisbane and scored 517-1 in the second innings to save the match. Alastair Cook was 235 not out and Andrew Strauss got 110. Jonathan Trott was 135 not out. That was a great day for English cricket.
“What Australians love is winners. If you go there and win, there’s a respect from people on the street.
“But if you lose and lose badly, they’ll look down on you with contempt.” ●GRAHAM GOOCH joined Greene King IPA to make sure the fans have great experiences during the Ashes. Follow @GreeneKingIPA for more information.