Swann: I’m still not sure it’s the right call
Root will have to park his responsibilities as Test captain for the next few months as he helps England, under one-day skipper Eoin Morgan, ready themselves for the Champions Trophy on home soil.
But what kind of captain will Root be when he does finally take the field with the armband for the first Test of the English summer against South Africa at Lord’s in early July?
“I’d like to be a captain that wins, tough to play against, and I’d like to hope we’ll play cricket that is enjoyable to watch,” said Root. “That is something that excites me, it should be entertaining Test cricket and that’s something I want to get across to the team and the people watching.
“Hopefully I will do things my way but I’m very lucky to have inherited an exciting team with a great blend of experience, raw talent and a core group of players who have played 20 to 30 games and are ready to take some more responsibility, and become a really tough side to play against.
“I think it’s the biggest honour in the game, simple as that. It’s very exciting to get that opportunity – there are so many exciting challenges that will appear over the next few months, and we have some big cricket coming up.”
After the four-match series against South Africa, England play West Indies in three more Tests before the Ashes start in Brisbane on November 23. It’s a prospect Root, no doubt motivated by his last experience of Ashes cricket in Australia, is excited by.
“Absolutely, I can’t wait for that and I think that’s something that as a side we should be very excited about,” he said.
Root has often been portrayed as the cheeky chappy of the England dressingroom, and even though he says that persona has been overplayed he will not change too much to try and fit the perceived stereotype of a statesmanlike captain.
“I just want to be very natural, instinctive and find something that naturally works,” he said. “We have a great period now to think about these things, go away and speak to people and find out what works for me and this team moving forward.”
Despite having only captained Yorkshire in four first-class games, Root hopes his experience of being Cook’s vice-captain for the past 18 months or so will help him when he steps up to the top job.
“Yes, you think you get an insight into how to manage your bowlers and your team,” he said. “You obviously start thinking about the game in a slightly different way knowing that Cooky might have to go off at any point and you’re in control.You do start thinking about things slightly different, but I think that’s always been beneficial for me when those small pockets of time have come along.”
Time will tell how Root fares as England’s 80th Test captain. The signs, though, look positive.
Whether Root goes on to become a successful captain is up to him. But everything that has happened in his career so far suggests he will rise to the challenge