Joe Root, the most prolific England Test batter, says “that ship has sailed” as far as his days of leading England are concerned, ruling out any possibility of him captaining the side again, while he focuses on the challenge of facing India in a five-Test series at home this summer.
Root said the current Indian side, when at full strength, makes the opponents pay for their mistakes, which makes it important for England to be at the top of their game when the Indian team visits to mark the start of 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle.
“We are good in our own conditions, but with India coming over for a five-match series there’s no hiding place. It’s a long old slog, you’ve got to be consistent. You’ve got to put in those match-winning performances time and time again,” Root said while talking to Sky Sports.
The 34-year-old Root overtook Alastair Cook last year to become England’s leading Test run-scorer and had led England to 27 wins in 64 matches between 2017 and 2022 before stepping down from captaincy.
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A challenging stretch in 2021 saw the team secure only one victory in 17 matches, including a disappointing Ashes series in Australia, prompting Root to relinquish his captaincy position.
Root returned to the ODI fold during the recently concluded Champions Trophy and scored 225 runs in three innings, including a hundred. But England failed to make it to the semifinals.
“The Champions Trophy was disappointing. We didn’t play anywhere near what we’re capable of but there’s so much talent and so much more to come from that team,” Root said.
“I think it’s a really good opportunity to reset and to move forward again as a group and get back to the heights that we know we’re capable of and where we were in and around that 2015 to 2019 phase (winning the World Cup in 2019),” he added.
Root dismissed the possibility of captaining England’s limited-overs teams after Buttler stepped down from the role following the team’s underwhelming performance in the Champions Trophy. The veteran cricketer made his stance clear regarding the leadership position in white-ball formats.
“I think that ship has sailed. I’ve done my time as a captain in England but I’m sure whoever gets the opportunity to do it will be extremely proud and do a brilliant job,” Root said.
He has eyes set on the five Tests against India, followed by the Ashes towards the end of the year.
“These are the years you play for. Two of the biggest teams, two of the biggest series you can play in as an England player. It’s something the team is relishing,” Root said.
“I do think this team’s building — covering a lot of bases and giving ourselves a lot of options to be successful in different conditions.
“I think we’re capable of (winning the Ashes). I think we’ve got to look after things leading up to that. We’ve got to play some really strong cricket at home,” he added.
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