The most measured, drama-free departure from the England captaincy in decades will surely be followed by the most uncontentious announcement of Alastair Cook’s successor within the next two weeks. Joe Root is poised to become England’s 80th Test captain. The chances of him being given the job are even greater than that of Celtic winning the Scottish Premiership – and they are currently 27 points ahead of their nearest challengers, Aberdeen.
There are arguments against Root but none of them is decisive. There is no necessity for the best player to have the job – but it helps if the captain is guaranteed his place in the side. Root’s experience of leadership is limited but that applies now to all contenders since an England player has no opportunity to lead at county level. The extra responsibility might jeopardise the output of England’s best batsman – but look how Root’s international peers have fared when elevated to the job.
Root will complete a quartet of brilliant players at the top of the ICC rankings of Test batsmen who run the show. Statistically they have much in common: Steve Smith of Australia, 27 years old, has played 50 Tests and averages 60.15; Kane Williamson of New Zealand, 26, has played 58 matches at an average of 50.07; Virat Kohli, 28, 53 Tests at an average of 50.10.
This trio does not appear to be greatly hampered by additional responsibility. Why should Root? Indeed the pattern is that new Test captains enjoy a spike in their form before becoming weighed down by their duties. So perhaps Root, 26, who averages 52.80 after 53 Tests, can expect to improve his record, at least in the short-term.
Moreover there are no real alternatives for Andrew Strauss to consider. The bowlers, Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson, are too old and cannot be expected to be ever-present; Ben Stokes, whose influence on and off the field has become ever more prominent, does not need to be shackled; Moeen Ali is so self-effacing he would probably never put himself on to bowl; Jonny Bairstow is only touted by distant observers; Jos Buttler and Keaton Jennings have been publicly endowed with “leadership qualities” but neither are guaranteed a place in the Test team.
It has to be Root even though there is slender evidence of how he will do the job. His Yorkshire colleagues will mischievously remind him of his first outing as a county captain. In April 2014 Middlesex scored 472 for three to win an extraordinary match at Lord’s as Root haplessly shuffled bowlers, who were mastered by Chris Rogers (241 not out). Order was restored when he was in charge of Yorkshire for their last match of that season with the Championship secured.
The anticipation is that Root will instinctively be a more aggressive captain than his predecessor (I can hear the mutters of “not that difficult”). This is almost a generational thing. It is hard to imagine Root imposing a “block-till-we-drop” policy, which Cook adopted in the second Test against India in Visakhapatnam and which left Ben Duckett, in particular, with an unplayable lie. Duckett is one of the modern batsmen who does not know how to operate like that. Likewise Broad and Anderson of the old brigade have long appreciated the benefits of being more cautious rather than cavalier in their outlook with the ball.
We can argue about the merits of the next generation’s gung ho approach, but the simple fact is that this is how the majority of the current England side like to play their cricket. Cook has been shrewd enough to realise that and there would have been an increasing tension if he had continued as captain. Moreover if he had not resigned now, he would have been obliged to keep going until the end of the next Ashes series.
The challenge for Root will be to find the right balance; he will be more inclined to allow his team the freedom of expression that they crave. Yet as the captain who carries the can he may come to recognise that in Test cricket a bit of bloody-minded pragmatism is also necessary.
He will have Cook at his side. The presence of a long-serving captain back in the ranks can be forbidding but in this instance it should be an asset.
The benefit of Cook’s long experience is less likely to come to the fore when Root is deciding who to bowl at the Pavilion End, but it could well be invaluable beyond the boundary in terms of how the captain keeps an eye on new arrivals in the squad – Cook was anonymously good in this pastoral role.
Root may even welcome the odd tip about handling the media, which is a constant obligation or opportunity for any England captain. He will also welcome Cook’s runs; after a brief debate expect the outgoing captain to continue as an opening batsman.
Of Root’s Yorkshire predecessors in the role, at least five can be deemed a success. The Hon FS Jackson won the Ashes in 1905; as did Sir Len Hutton in the 50s; Brian Close, in an all-too-brief period as captain, won six of his seven Tests in charge in the 60s; Raymond Illingworth returned with the Ashes in 1971; and Michael Vaughan oversaw the greatest series of all against Australia in 2005, which England won 2-1.
Cook’s wise decision to withdraw gives Root the chance to become part of that mighty legacy.
