Played many games in COVID-19, don't think it was fair on group: Root reflects on captaincy tenure

ANI June 18, 2025 205 views

Joe Root candidly discusses the difficulties of leading England during the pandemic, admitting the bubble environment was unfair to players. He takes pride in historic away wins but acknowledges the toll of relentless scheduling. The batting maestro now shifts focus to England's upcoming series against India and Australia. Root remains cautious about looking too far ahead, emphasizing fitness and adaptability for the Ashes challenge.

"I would change Covid. The fact we played as many games as we did in those environments, I don't think was fair on the group." – Joe Root
Leeds, June 18: England's batting wizard Joe Root reminisced about his captaincy days and felt it was unfair on the group, a phase that eventually pulled the curtains down on his stint as the Three Lions skipper.

Key Points

1

Root captained England in 64 Tests with 27 wins

2

COVID bubbles and white-ball focus strained his tenure

3

Proud of victories in South Africa and Sri Lanka

4

Now preps for India Tests and Ashes campaign

Root's tenure, which lasted from 2017 to 2022, saw England stand triumphant 27 times, endure 26 defeats and register 11 draws in 64 matches, although the end of his tenure was filled with patches of turbulence and a rich vein of form.

In his final 17 Tests as skipper, England had just a solitary victory as the team dealt with the bubbles of the COVID-19 pandemic. Often, priority was given to the white-ball setup. Root's tenure met its bitter end with a 4-0 hammering at the hands of Australia, which was followed by a 1-0 loss against the West Indies.

"I would change Covid. The fact we played as many games as we did in those environments, I don't think, was fair on the group. We were playing to keep the lights on and win games of cricket," Root told Sky Sports.

"But I wouldn't change too much. I am very proud we won in South Africa, twice in Sri Lanka and some big games at home as well. I captained in some of the most exciting games we have seen in a long time. I am very proud of what we achieved in that period," he added.

As of now, Root is fine-tuning his technique before England kicks off a gruelling five-match Test series against India. Since the flamboyant duo of head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes began their era of dominance, England has yet to lose a Test series on their home turf.

After the five Tests against India, England will shift its focus on reclaiming the urn for the first time in a decade against their fierce rival Australia in the Ashes, which will kick off at Perth's Optus Stadium on November 21.

Root feels looking too far ahead invites trouble and said, "I think it's a dangerous thing, a bit like setting goals. You are setting yourself up for disappointment."

"It's the first time we could go to Australia for a while with a barrage of pace [bowling] and test them in a slightly different way to previously. But all the stars have to align, everyone has to stay fit," he added.

India's squad: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana

England squad for first Test vs India: Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Ben Stokes (capt), Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes.

Reader Comments

Here are 6 diverse Indian perspective comments on the article about Joe Root's captaincy reflection:
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Rahul K.
Root was always a class act, both as batsman and captain. COVID period was tough for everyone, but he handled it with grace. Excited to see him face our Indian bowlers - Bumrah vs Root will be 🔥!
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Priya M.
Interesting to hear his perspective. But honestly, England's test team looked clueless against spin in India last time. With Jadeja and Kuldeep in form, Root will need to score big to save them again!
A
Arjun S.
Root's honesty is refreshing. But England prioritizing white-ball cricket during COVID hurt test cricket. Hope BCCI doesn't make same mistake - test matches are the real cricket! #WhistlePodu
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Sanjana R.
As an Indian fan, I respect Root but our team looks stronger this time. Youngsters like Jaiswal and Gill are hungry to prove themselves in England conditions. Tough series ahead for both teams!
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Vikram J.
Root's stats show he was actually a decent captain. But Indian fans won't forget that 2021 series where our team fought like lions at Gabba! Hope we can repeat that magic in England this time.
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Neha P.
While I appreciate Root's honesty, I hope England aren't using COVID as excuse for poor performances. Our Indian team also played in bubbles but still managed historic wins in Australia. True champions adapt! 💪

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