NZ vs ENG | Best job in the world being England captain, says Joe Root amid criticism
England skipper Joe Root insists that he has the best job in the world despite growing criticism regarding his poor captaincy record in recent times, especially 2019. Root has also come under scrutiny for his poor batting form, but the 28-year-old is confident that there is a big knock coming soon.
From a relatively strong position in the game, England went onto lose the first of the ongoing two-match Test series against New Zealand by an innings and 65 runs, with their skipper only contributing a total of 13 runs. But even with the pressure mounting on him, Root's enthusiasm for batting - and the captaincy - remains undiminished.
"Regardless of whatever the schedule is, I will always continue to keep working on my batting. I love it. I have no plans to quit any format of cricket. I want to keep playing as much as I can. I know that there'll be a day when my back's gone, or I wake up and I physically can't do it anymore. So I want to make the most of it when I can. I'm very fortunate to be in the position where I captain England and play for England. It's the best job in the world in so many ways," Root said, reported ESPNCricinfo.
Root’s woeful run in 2019 has resulted in him slipping out of the top 10 among the ICC Test batsmen rankings. His current score of 697 rankings points is his lowest tally in more than five years. But as he came out of the nets in Hamilton on Wednesday, Root expressed hope that a big score is around the corner.
"I'm not far away. I'm feeling really good in practice. I know I played two horrendous shots in the last game but, in many ways, the fact that I'm getting myself out and not being got out means I can deal with that. I've just got to keep my feet moving, stay busy and go about my business the way I have for four or five years. I've generally been quite consistent. And even if things have not felt right, I've managed to score runs. I've got to trust that that's going to come. I'm not far away," he said.
"I think the rankings are there for you guys in the media to talk about. My focus, as a batter and a captain, is winning Test matches. That's what matters. I'd take a pair for a win. But we're more likely to win if I score a double-hundred," Root added.
England have scheduled an optional training session on Thursday afternoon in Hamilton ahead of the second Test starting on Friday.
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