Root’s law is blueprint for Ashes revival
JOE ROOT has told his players it will be his way or the highway as he tries to build a team capable of winning the Ashes both home and away over the next four years.
A stronger, more ruthless Root is still reeling from the 4-0 defeat but is determined to forge a team in his image and has warned players that they need to get on board with his plans straightaway in New Zealand.
There aren’t many England captains who get the chance to lead in Australia more than once, but Root wants to be the first since Mike Brearley had two bites within a year due to World Series Cricket in the 1970s.
Root said: “I want to get myself clear on how I want to move forward, along with Trevor Bayliss and the support staff, and make sure when we start that tour to New Zealand there is a clear indication of what direction we’re going in.
“And if the lads aren’t prepared to get on board with that then we’ve got to go with something different.
“You always learn from experiences when it’s difficult. You have to make sure that they make you a stronger character.
“Over the next year or so, I’ll have a really good indication of how I want us to play as a team.
“But I definitely want to be back here in four years’ time as captain and making sure I’m sat here talking about completely different stuff.”
Root is hoping the continued selections of James Vince and Mark Stoneman will turn out as well as it did for him after the 2013/14 Ashes.
He admitted: “Coming out of a difficult series you deserve another crack at it. It was the making of me as a player.”
Whether this tour will be the making of him as a captain remains to be seen, but after finishing the series asleep and ill, he wants the chance to end an Ashes tour on his own terms, preferably with a win.