Joe Root appointed England's new Test captain
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Joe Root has been named the successor to Alastair Cook as the captain of the England cricket team after the latter led the English side in 59 Test matches over 4 years. Root was the obvious pick to ascend to the post ever since Cook stepped down after the horrendous 4-0 series loss in India.
After Alastair Cook stepped down from captaincy following England's 4-0 defeat to India in the Test Series, there were speculations about who would be named as the next captain of the three lions. Joe Root, the vice-captain and the obvious frontrunner for the post was formally appointed captain today. The 26-year-old batsman from Yorkshire has been the side's best batsman ever since his debut, scoring 4594 runs at an average of 52.80 with 11
He will now succeed Alastair Cook, who led the team from 2012 to 2016. Cook's first and last series as captain were both played in India, and while he began with a historic away series victory, he could never match those heights in his last series as his team succumbed to one loss after another, the last two by an innings after putting up 400 runs on the board.
"It is a huge honour to be given the England Test captaincy. I feel privileged, humbled and very excited. We have a very good group of players and I'm looking forward to leading them out in the summer, building on Alastair's achievements and making the most of our talents in the years ahead. The senior guys in the changing room play a very influential role and whilst there's a natural progression for me it's a huge support to know that they are there to help and advise," Root said.
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