Townsville Bulletin

Root helps save Ashes

England captain set to lead tour Down Under

- BEN HORNE

AUSTRALIA has a fresh respect for Joe Root after he went from interrogat­or to opinion shaper in saving the Ashes.

Root was the man asking all the hard questions in a series of pressurise­d 11th hour meetings with Cricket Australia this week, but his decision to lay his cards on the table and commit to the tour has proven a crucial piece of behind-the-scenes leadership.

If the English captain and father of two small children had turned his back on quarantine conditions, the tour would have been in turmoil, but it was Root who convinced players to take the plunge, and now there is optimism England may even send a fullstreng­th squad.

Uncertaint­y remains over whether superstar all-rounder and No.1 drawcard Ben Stokes will make the trip after taking several months off to look after his mental health.

But he has not yet been ruled out ahead of the tour being officially rubber stamped and the squad picked by the end of the week.

Warhorses Stuart Broad and James Anderson will saddle up for one last shootout with rivals David Warner and Steve Smith, while there are suggestion­s gun wicketkeep­er Jos Buttler might also be back on board after originally hesitating about the prospect of leaving behind his small children for the tour.

Ashes legend Ian Botham lit a fuse under the England players on the eve of their final meeting with CA by questionin­g if the current squad fancied taking on “the ultimate test.”

But Root responded to the brutal taunt by leading from the front.

It’s understood Root was a classy presence in the meetings, asking questions on behalf of his teammates about quarantine conditions – but also listening and trusting the informatio­n and assurances provided by CA chief executive Nick Hockley.

Previously, Root had refused to guarantee he would tour Australia as he sought informatio­n about conditions, prompting a rebuke from Australian counterpar­t Tim Paine who said: “The Ashes are going ahead … whether Joe is here or not.”

The comments were criticised as lacking empathy by former England captain Nasser Hussain.

Root averages 50 in Test cricket and is one of the modern-day giants of Test-match batting, but in nine matches on Australian soil has not yet made a 100.

However, the baby-faced assassin has grown as a leader since he last visited Australian shores and if this week’s crisis meetings were anything to go by, Root is a man England players want to follow into battle.

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