Joe Root threw his support behind Harry Brook’s leadership after England’s series-levelling win in the second ODI against Sri Lanka, saying the English ODI captain has accepted responsibility for the “drinking gate” and is ready to move forward.
In the post-match conversation, Root also backed Brendon McCullum and the wider coaching group despite the Ashes disappointment in Australia, while stressing he will only judge that tour properly once this trip ends.
On the Brook incident, Root made it clear he sees accountability, not a derailment. “He’s apologised, he’s taken his punishment and he’s desperate to take this team forward,” Root said. “I think he’s going to be a brilliant England captain and he’s going to do wonderful things in an England shirt, both as a player and as a leader. So I’m fully behind him and want to see him, I suppose, move past it and learn from it and grow as a person and as a captain off the back of it.”
Root then turned to the leadership around the squad, arguing that the current setup has improved players rather than stalled them. “I think Baz (McCullum) is one of the best coaches I’ve ever worked with,” he said. “If you look at my own personal game, the time that he’s been coach, it’s improved tenfold. I think most of the players, if you look individually, all of their games have improved under his tenure as coach.”
He included the rest of the staff in that assessment too. “Same with the batting coach and assistant coach. They’ve done a lot of really good things for English cricket and will do in the future as well,” Root said.
The Ashes, though, has not been brushed aside. Root admitted England were not happy with the way their campaign in Australia played out, but maintained belief in what the group can still become. “Obviously, we’re disappointed with the way things went out in Australia, but I still think there’s a lot of more really exciting things to come from this group,” he said.
While claiming he is “still having the best time” in the current England setup. Root said he has deliberately avoided a full emotional verdict on the Ashes so soon. “After this tour I’m going to get a couple of months to sit back and look at it properly and probably emotionlessly. I think that’s probably the most sensible way to do it,” he said.
For now, Joe Root’s choice is to pause than lash out, even if it means leaving some questions unanswered at the moment. “I could sit here and get wound up and angry about it and probably say something that I don’t necessarily mean or I could give myself some time to properly reflect on it and then have a proper, honest conversation with a bit more reason and sense behind it,” Root said.
