Root's LAST Test as captain? England suffer ANOTHER series defeat | Wisden Cricket Weekly Podcast

[@joshforde698]

We're looking at 5 years before England are any good again, on the field we are very much a second tier team. ECB need to swallow their pride and play some of the lesser teams at home. Bangladesh haven't been here since 2010, Sri Lanka since 2016, hell, it may even be time to invite Zimbabwe over for a test or two. England aren't going to get better getting spanked over 5 tests by Australia and India every year (I appreciate that a 5 test Ashes series will never go away).

[@HkFinn83]

That’s insane, just shows how the test series are being booked for business reasons and pretty much nothing else

[@harveybearkitty2051]

This will stop eventually because of the wtc

[@fossilmatic]

There are parallels with the Taylor-McCullum captaincy situation. Taylor: Great batsmen, uninspired team ethos, mediocre tactical leadership. The argument was that McCullum was going to underperform and was such an individual performer it would fall apart (i.e. the Botham mythology). What was missed was that he had an attitude that overshadowed his very good ability and performances, and that is what transformed the team into the one who has outperformed its potential to win the Championship, be in three white ball world finals and win away from home. Stokes could be that figure. The captaincy could actually enhance his impact. Worth a punt when the current status quo has nothing to recommend it.

[@khoatran415]

But he has said it multiple times he DOES NOT want the job!!!! Force him to do it?

[@robertbooth9633]

I can't see the point in bringing in one of Root's YES men like Stokes or Butler. We need someone who can shake the dressing room up like Nasser did in 2000. Broad should be a stop gap captain for 12 months and see who pushes for a case as new leader.

[@martinbennett2228]

Karl Mayers deserves more credit than is given here. He bowled with control and intelligence. It makes no sense to disparage his pace. Any faster would have reduced the movement in the air and off the pitch.

[@Stakhanovites]

From 6:20 to 7:20 Butch is muted.

[@GRIFFIN142NO]

With Broad as captain England would lose all their DRS reviews in the 1st over.

[@simongoodman1039]

No audio from ~6:45 - 7:30

[@joshforde698]

Captaincy, I think would work best on a series-by-series or season-by-season basis. England are in an unprecedented crisis, I'd give it to Broad for the summer, then probably Stokes in Pakistan. Root's race is run, put him out of his misery.

[@andysmith5997]

What West Indies did really well is give players freedom to play to their strengths for short bursts, and also practice fielding for several hours a day a lot before the series. Kraig Brathwaite is clearly very intelligent,listen to him. But with all due respect to West Indies ,what England did,again, is stare intently at lap tops,tell the dressing room ( either consciously or subconsciously) that insolence and freedom of expression is sackable,and repeatedly remind players of their weaknesses. And Karl Mayers (and Brathwaite, Roach etc) has been around enough to see it and take advantage. Throw in Roots myopia when it comes to listening, fielding positions and over bowling and the results would make Bagpuss look good. Remember the last innings capitulation in Hobart? The players all wanted to go home? Look at Jack Leach when Root was talking to him on the 3rd morning. It’s the same.The teeth grinding agony of listening to a boss who is an idiot but must never be told.

[@HkFinn83]

They can do all the fielding practice in the world, but when your batsmen can’t bat and Chris Woakes pea shooters are opening the bowling and your main spinner is barely a first class cricketer, there’s only so much you can do.

[@barrysheridan9186]

English batting has been poor for some years, the lack of application, basic skills and defeatist attitude behind repeated batting collapses. Joe Root should accept he has not been able to motivate the team to better performances despite his own efforts, he should stand down.

[@kevinstoneham1245]

In the next test they play, the strategy should be to just occupy the crease as long as possible as a team. Forget about runs and even the result. They have to get used to being able to stay there. The bowling is not that great at the moment, but t try he real issue is the batting with the old collapse mentality that has always been there with England now returning.

[@khoatran415]

It's amazing after being captain for this long that he has not gotten any better. Doesn't seem like he is learning anything and the people around him are not letting him know. Astounding.

[@kevwiz369]

Appoint Broad on a one year basis. He is aggressive and will have a no nonsense attitude. Root is all about not hurting his players' feelings and trying to be "the good guy." These players have all the resources and refuse to get better. They are getting worse, in fact.. They need a good kick up their backside.

[@eleanorjayetilleke320]

Joe Root is no captain. I have watched in dismay at the many wrong decisions he had taken .....be it in team selection, field placings or bowling changes etc.etc. However as a batsman he is one of the world's best Wish he would resign from the captaincy and concentrate on his batting!

[@andrewlawrence6634]

I feel Root isn't a good Capt, and never has been, will be. but the question is England's batting has been so poor for years but the sharp decline since 1st test in India last year, they look a beaten side on the park as soon as there's reststance building against them. Then the slightest pressure when batting they crumble in a heap and seem to have lost basics of staying at the crease for long periods, shot selection, defence. . also the new players coming in seem to start of fine and then regress, this is a real worry as you can see even the West Indies (who are a very average side) their players improve during time in the side, you need to look at why this is because throwing money and new coaches will not help unless they can fix the underlying reasons for the above.

[@rahulmenon4557]

England should forget about any debate and appoint Stokes captain for the next 2 years. Bairstow or Butler as white ball captain.

[@rikkenpatel8506]

The Smith-Rock situation in cricket would be Harbhajan slapping Sreesanth on the field in IPL.

[@LongFormPiece]

The patronising waffle about options like Abell, Rhodes and Vince is in keeping with the England hierachy's idea of cricket. That someone like Broad or Bairstow, neither of whom have captained, nor ever displayed a single trait required to be a captain, would be better options is laughable. A decent captain that averages 30 is far more useful than a shit one that averages 40, as their decisions will be worth far more than the difference. We're also in the unique situation in that you don't even need to be a top class batsman to get into this team. Root is a world class batsman, Stokes is a reasonable test level batsman, and the rest of them wouldn't get a game in an Aussie shield team. It is absolutely the moment to roll the dice. Root is an abysmal, clueless, pitiful excuse of a captain and, as our only guaranteed source of runs, is the last player we need to have that added pressure. Get rid, let him concentrate on batting, and take a flyer on someone from outside this group that actually has some experience of being a captain.

[@pz4934]

Keep Root as captain, BUT, appoint Langer.

[@michaelodonnell824]

Jonathan Lieu in The Guardian made a VERY good point - There's an ARROGANCE when it comes to English Cricket Punditry - the OTHER team, whoever they are, NEVER win - it's ALWAYS England who lose. This is PARTICULARLY true when the White English talk about the ex-Slaves in the West Indies - "How dare, How CAN England LOSE to the West Indies?" England HAVE NOT WON A TEST SERIES IN THE CARRIBEAN SINCE 2004. WHY did they ASSUME this year would be different? ALSO, look at the West Indies Batting in Grenada - EVERY West Indian in the top half of their line-up OUTSCORED their English Counterparts in BOTH of their Innings. PLEASE give the Credit where it Belongs - the West Indies OUTPLAYED England! Or, to put it more simply - THE BEST TEAM WON!!!

[@HkFinn83]

There’s absolutely no arrogance at all in England cricket punditry, in fact the opposite, it’s completely negative. Everybody is saying this is the worst side in forever so your point is bizarre. The guardian online is just racial/gender clickbait.

[@DavidJones-mn7ie]

I actually went and listened to the end of series sumup by Jon Agnew that Jonathan Liew references in his article to see what this English arrogance sounded like. It includes an interview with Kraigg Brathwaite that was almost completely about how West Indies had done, with just one question about the omission of Anderson and Broad. Followed by a long discussion with a West Indian journalist about West Indies cricket and the progress it's making. I couldn't help wondering why The Guardian, and Mr. Liew in particular need to base their articles on tendentious lies. And for the record, most cricket fans enjoy great play by the opposition, whether it makes "their" team lose or not.

[@steveellis5854]

No spectators says it all about test cricket.

[@abhishektoshniwal5962]

Harbhajan slapping Sreesanth comes close I reckon.

[@Damudean]

You give it to the best captain in your county cricket. Isn’t that supposed to be where you choose your test team

[@Thumbs81]

Rory Burns for Captain, only batter apart from Root and Stokes to average over 30, plus he's done it before for Surry, not much technique but he's got bollocks

[@mattblack8225]

Terrible shout

[@HkFinn83]

God no, I refuse to watch any game he’s batting in. He actually makes the sport unwatchable

[@Damudean]

Is it possible for the captain to influence a team on how they bat. Of course it is, will it or has your current captain done that is the question.

[@carlobalzer3238]

R I P test cricket in England 😡

[@Damudean]

Stop being snobby poms, ranks are bs and every team is better at home

[@Khader1093]

That goes for Big 3 but losing to WI. That's just Bonkers.

[@arnolddavies6734]

Another test series, another defeat for England. Captained by Joe Root(ed)

[@jeremymerrifield7244]

So basically the England Test team will be rubbish for years ... I agree

[@amitm2692]

Is Eng gonna win a test series again...EVER. ??

[@arnolddavies6734]

Hopefully NOT.

[@HkFinn83]

Its possible they won’t be playing test cricket for long. They can only make money from Aus or India, public interest is almost non existent. The general public don’t know any of the players. The future of England cricket is a well funded, completely commercial rival to IPL.

[@Stakhanovites]

If England are in a year zero situation, why not Wisden's Dan Lawrence? He seems to be a level-headed thinker and it might make him pace his innings a bit better. What's the worst that could happen.