Joe Root’s father, Matt, believes the new England vice-captain, Ben Stokes, can be his son’s “enforcer” while Stokes’s father, Ged, has promised there will be “no bullshit” between the pair as the players lead their country.
The fathers of England’s new captain and his deputy were talking to the Guardian after seeing their sons successfully go through their first ever job interviews, a nervous affair for a parent at the best of times, but when the vacancy is for the England Test captaincy and the wait thereafter is played out in public, it is fair to say the tension is heightened.
For two players who rose through the ranks at Yorkshire and Durham from their early teens last Thursday’s meetings with Andrew Strauss, the director of England cricket, were a step into the unknown. And if the new captain’s promotion felt a given from the outside, Root himself was a touch on edge.
“Joe was quite nervous as it was his first job interview,” said Matt Root, who as captain of Sheffield Collegiate introduced his son to the sport as a newborn by placing a bat in his cot. “We had a few chats beforehand and shared ideas. He just really wanted to get his vision across. But he has always read the game very well, even from a young age.
“My only advice was do it his own way. I first captained at 21 and my dad bought me the Art of Captaincy by Mike Brearley. That’s how I thought I had to do it but it was a mistake – you have to put your own stamp on it.
“ We found out he’d got the job on Sunday when I phoned him and he said: ‘I’ve literally just put the phone down on Strauss and it’s good news.’ To hear that was just fabulous.”
For Stokes, whose meeting with Strauss was similarly for the top job before being handed the vice-captaincy, parental support came with the slight logistical issue of his father, Ged, and mother, Deborah, living in their native New Zealand. In keeping with his on-field persona, the 25-year-old was unflustered by the task at hand.
“Having your first ever job interview for a role like that could be daunting,” Deborah said. “But he said: ‘Mum, it’s just a chat, we’ll see, what will be will be.’ It was nerve-racking waiting to hear but the experience of him being considered was a real thrill for us – the appointment just capped it off. I hope he grows with the role but still remains Ben.”
Root Sr believes the pair first crossed paths when playing for Yorkshire and Cumbria Under-13s respectively, before teaming up for the North of England in the Bunbury festivals that showcase the best school-aged talent.
“Ben hit a big ball even in those days,” he said, while Ged Stokes, himself a former New Zealand rugby league international, similarly remembered a young Joe Root catching the eye. “He was outstanding – one of the cricketers that parents and coaches talked about at those festivals. That identification at such a young age was so important to where they are now.”
Their sons must now revive the team against South Africa and West Indies this summer after Alastair Cook’s resignation, before the defence of the Ashes in Australia. For Matt Root, their differing but equally upbeat characters will be key.
“I think Joe will be slightly more aggressive as a captain than Cooky,” said Root Sr. “And he has set up a great group of players for Joe to manage. Having Stokesy walking out to do battle alongside him is ideal. He’ll be the enforcer, the guy you want next you in a bar brawl.”
Ged Stokes said: “One of the biggest things is they know each other inside out and will be honest – there won’t be any bullshit. If something needs to be said, it will be. These roles can change people but that’s not Ben. He’ll continue his own unique way of playing the game.”
“I read one article that said they could be good cop and bad cop and it made me laugh,” added Deborah, a former club cricketer herself. “I thought it was funny and probably quite true. We just hope the fun side and cheeky side stays the same.”
