Joe Root not ruling out longer stint as England captain amid Ben Stokes saga
Joe Root has agreed to step back into his old role as captain this week and it may be for a lttle longer
Joe Root has not ruled out extending his unexpected return as England’s Test captain, accepting the role on a “game-by-game basis” as the Ben Stokes saga plays out.
Root has agreed to step back into the breach at the Kia Oval this week, with uncertainty continuing to surround the future of regular skipper Stokes.
He and Gus Atkinson were both stood down for the second Rothesay Test against New Zealand after breaking team protocols on a night out in London, leaving Root to pick up the pieces after answering an SOS from managing director Rob Key.
The Yorkshireman led his country in a record 64 matches between 2017-2022, passing the baton to Stokes after admitting the job had taken a heavy toll. But he did not shrink from the task when asked to step up in trying circumstances and appeared refreshed as he began his second act.
“I never thought I’d be sat here talking to you guys as England captain again. Zero chance…0.1 per cent,” he said.
“The only thinking that came to my mind is what is the best thing for this team, is it going to have a big effect on me and my personal life and which outweighed the other.
“The fact is it felt like it was the right thing to take this on, so I tried to make it as simple as that. I think I am in a very different place to when I finished.
“To be captaining this group of players is a really exciting opportunity. It’s a game-by-game basis, I think. Let’s not look beyond this week.”
Head coach Brendon McCullum refused to be drawn on Stokes’ status when he held a press conference on Monday, repeatedly airing his “concern” and “worry” for the all-rounder, while leaving any firm decisions to the ongoing England and Wales Cricket Board investigation into the late-night incident.
Root leading the third Test at Trent Bridge, which begins just three days after the scheduled finish at The Oval, seems highly likely. After that, there is a seven-week gap before the next Test series against Pakistan.
That could be enough time for any disciplinary process to be completed, but it remains entirely unclear whether Stokes will resume his four-year tenure, return to the ranks under different leadership or walk away entirely.
“I’ve spoken to him a number of times over the last week or so,” Root said. “We’re close friends and I think they should stay as privileged conversations between me and him.
“It’s fair to say over my five years as captain there was difficult periods, and there are certain times when things can get difficult.
“When it comes to how Ben’s feeling, how he is, I think they’re all questions that he should be answering himself. I’m sure, at the right time and when he’s ready, he will.”
Asked if Stokes could command the same authority after flouting a curfew he helped bring in, Root added: “I’m sure he has this respect of everyone in our dressing room. He’s been a phenomenal leader for the last four years and the way he’s captained been brilliant.
“We’ve achieved some wonderful things as a team and won a hell of a lot of Test matches. He’s a talismanic player and a great friend to a number of the guys, so of course there’s a huge amount of respect there from everyone.”
The ECB confirmed Stokes has been cleared to play for Durham against Northampton from Friday, with Atkinson also available for Surrey’s trip to Glamorgan.
“Ben is a competitor and he loves to play and he wants to play,” Durham coach Ryan Campbell told BBC Radio Newcastle.
“He put his hand up and said he made a mistake. From what I’ve seen, he’s in good spirits, he’s back in training, working hard and the rest will take care of itself.”