Ashes 2019 | Joe Root lacks any feel for captaincy, feels Geoffery Boycott
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Former English cricketer Geoffery Boycott believes that leadership is not a trait that comes naturally to Joe Root and that his position as captain must be reconsidered. He also slammed Root for some of the decisions in the fourth Test while also criticizing him for the team's lack of intensity.
On Sunday, Joe Root became the first English captain since Nasser Hussain in 2001 to relinquish the urn to the Aussies on home soil. Ever since, Root's captaincy has come under the scanner, with former cricketers and experts alike questioning his credibility while also heavily criticizing him for his inability to inspire the team. Geoffery Boycott is the latest ex-cricketer to join the bandwagon and the 78-year-old believes that Root lacks a feel for captaincy, while also asking the management to reconsider his position as captain.
“Joe Root is such a likeable lad, a quality batsman and nobody wants to hurt or humiliate him but I’m afraid he lacks any feel for captaincy,” Boycott told the Daily Telegraph, reported Hindustan Times.
“His captaincy has been very disappointing and he has to seriously think about whether he is suited for the job and whether it is affecting his batting,” he added.
After having conceded a 196-run first-innings lead, Jofra Archer and Stuart Broad bowled with fire and a frenzy of rage to reduce the Aussies to 44-4 before the Tea interval. While everyone expected the duo to come all guns blazing post Tea, Root, shockingly, gave the ball to the pair of Craig Overton and Jack Leach and it ultimately ended up being a massive blunder as Steve Smith and Matthew Wade milked the duo to steer their team out of trouble.
Boycott went on to criticize that decision of Root which ultimately cost England the match, as Smith raced off to yet another fifty-plus score to put his side in a position of command. He further went on to add that the English skipper fails to understand the subtleties of the game, thus making him a bad captain.
"Jofra Archer bowled fast and Stuart Broad with great skill and intensity, the atmosphere was electric with the crowd urging England on to bowl them out cheaply. But after tea, Joe opened the bowling with Craig Overton and Jack Leach and his field settings beggared belief," he said of Root's decision to not bowl Broad and Archer.
"All the intensity, aggression dissipated. Joe just stood at slip watching (Steve) Smith take the match away from us. As much as we all love Joe it seems he does not have a feel for the nuances of the game,” he added.
Another former captain, Hussain, also singled out the flaws in Root's captaincy. While admitting that the bowlers let him down on Day 1, Hussain said that it was then up to the English skipper to then inspire and motivate his team, which he ultimately failed to do.
"It’s been clear in this game that Root has felt let down by some of his bowlers, especially on the first day. But he knows the buck stops with him. It’s up to the captain to get the best out of his team," Hussain said.
