Should Joe Root have stepped down from captaincy following the Ashes debacle?

The England side experienced an abysmal run in the holy grail of Test cricket, The Ashes. The Joe Root-led outfit went down 0-4 in the five-match Test series against a dominant Australian side. And, the aftermath of this Ashes drubbing has been felt severely.

Wholesale changes have taken place in the England setup. Ashley Giles was removed as the Director of the England side, and head coach Chris Silverwood was also shown the door. This was followed by Graham Thorpe quitting as the batting coach. Now, the next question that has come up is – should Joe Root retain his captaincy?

Root has not been removed as the captain, and neither has he volunteered to step down. But, should Root have stepped down after a miserable performance in The Ashes and allowed someone else to take over?

Root’s performances

Let us delve into some facts. Root has captained the England side the most number of times in Test cricket and has also led them to the most Test wins. He has the best win percentage amongst all England skippers who have led the side in a minimum of 40 Test matches, and he is without doubt England’s best batter in the whites.

Also, even Root’s teammates believe in him. Ben Stokes, who is also a colossus in his own right said that Root has taken the England side a long way. Stokes also made it clear that he would love to play under Joe Root.

“He’s brought this team a long way. He’s done some great things. Captaincy is more than about setting fields, picking the team, making decisions out in the middle. A captain is someone you play for. Joe Root is someone I always want to play for,” Stokes had said during The Ashes.

A captain needs to stand up when the going gets tough, and Root should do exactly that at a time when the team is going through a low, as it is the captain who should stand up and motivate his troops. Great players and great leaders bounce back from adversity and do not flinch easily. Root is a great player, and a great leader, make no mistake about it, and should continue to lead the England Test side.