Joe Root has won a record 27 Tests as England captain but has also suffered a record 27 defeats. As he begins his second reign as Test captain, Root has called on his England players to be “really good role models and human beings.”
England’s new era commences with the first Test against Pakistan this Wednesday at Headingley. Root returns to the leadership role following the shock international retirement of Ben Stokes earlier this summer.
The transition follows the dismissal of head coach Brendon McCullum, who was sacked after managing only two wins in 10 Tests during a period dogged by off-field issues. Root, 35, said Sport: “You always want to represent your country in the best possible light.”
Acknowledging recent struggles, Root added: “We might have fallen short of that on a few occasions in the recent past. The only thing we can do to rectify that is be really good role models, good human beings and put in really strong performances on the field. The first opportunity to do that is this week.”
