England suffered its fifth straight series loss under Joe Root's captaincy.
England's Test captain, Joe Root, is under immense pressure with former greats suggesting he should step down after the national team suffered yet another embarrassing Test series loss last week.
England suffered a 10-wicket defeat in the series-deciding third and final Test against the West Indies on March 27 to lose the series 0-1 to the hosts after the first two tests had ended in a draw.
Before the West Indies Test series, England had been humiliated with a 0-4 Ashes loss to Australia.
Notably, it was England’s fifth straight series loss, while they could win only one Test match out of their last 17 outings, which was really disappointing for the entire England cricket fraternity.
Following England’s Test series loss to West Indies, former England captain Michael Atherton recently stated that Joe Root’s time was up and he must resign as Test captain, and now Michael Vaughan has echoed the latter’s view.
Interestingly, Root has won 27 Tests as captain, which is more than any other England captain, while his losing numbers (26) are also more than any other captain.
The former cricketer-turned-commentator said that Root should step down, saying it is better to have the right-hander in the side without the burden of the captaincy.
Vaughan told the BBC: “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.”
He explained, “I wouldn't want the new director of cricket (Andrew Strauss, interim basis) or head coach (Paul Collingwood, interim basis) 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.
In 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. But, I always think captains should pride themselves on maximizing every ounce of potential in the changing room. I just look at the team and ask 'Why did they perform so under their potential?' That would be a real concern for me.”
The former skipper also mentioned that Root has lacked a clinical touch when it has come to matches that are delicately poised.
Vaughan signed off by saying, “Tactically he has been poor. 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.”
(With AFP Inputs)