Joe Root excited to return as England Test captain, says he is better prepared for second stint

Joe Root says he feels energised and better prepared as he returns for a second stint as England's Test captain following Ben Stokes' retirement. The veteran batter aims to build on the team's recent progress while embracing the challenges ahead

London: Returning to lead England’s Test team in a second stint, veteran batter Joe Root on Saturday said he feels very excited for embracing the challenges that lie ahead, adding that he’s better equipped for the role as compared to his previous tenure.

Root, who stepped down as Test captain in 2022 after a challenging five-year reign, has been handed the reins of the side once again following the retirement of Ben Stokes. In his first spell as captain, Root led England to a record 27 Test wins in 65 matches. He will take charge from the Test series against Pakistan, starting on August 19.

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“Very much the same, to be honest. I don’t think that will ever change. Whenever you get the opportunity to lead your country, it’s all of those things. I guess, the unique and nice position that I find myself in this time is I’ve got a wealth of experience in terms of knowing what it takes, knowing what it looks like, having seen success with it and seeing some hard times as well.

“I’ve got a lot to fall back on and look at and help me and the team moving forward into this next little while. So, I don’t think many captains get that opportunity and certainly not with the amount of games that I have behind me and the experiences that I’ve had in between now and that period there. So, I’m very much looking forward to it, very excited by the challenge that lies ahead and all the great cricket that we have coming up,” said Root in a video on the official ECB website.

Reflecting on his personal evolution since he first took up the captaincy in 2017, Root acknowledged that he is a very different person now. “Hugely different. I mean, I think anyone that says in, what would it be, nearly eight-year period, that they’re the same person they were is probably lying.

“So, whether it be within the game, away from it, all of the experiences you have along the way throughout that period, you’re going to be shaped into a slightly different person,” he added.

He added that his intention was to build upon the progress England made under Stokes rather than reverting to old ways. “I think that will be very similar in terms of how I want to take this team forward, moving into the next little while. So, I think you mentioned the last little period since 2022 – we’ve done some amazing things.

“I think more than anything it’ll be trying to continue a lot of the good stuff that we’ve done over that period and not finding ourselves back to where we were before. But as Ben took over and sort of evolving and tweaking things to get us to where we want to be and really competing against the top nations consistently for a long period of time.”

Recalling the gruelling conditions during the Covid-19 pandemic when players were confined to bio-secure bubbles, Root admitted the period took a heavy toll on him as the side’s leader. “Everyone knows how hard it was from a personal aspect, but when you’re trying to live a professional lifestyle in the professional cricket world where it’s very much results-based, you haven’t got a consistent team.

“You’re trying to play all three formats, guys dipping in and out of the sides at different times, teams taking different priorities. Again, just spending a vast amount of time away from your families and loved ones. You see the rest of the world go back to normality around you and you’re still living in those bubbles.

“It takes its toll on you and I think as a team we spent 22-23 games in that environment and over a two-year period, if you’re consistent within that, it’s going to weigh heavily on you. So to try and manage all that and compete with the two best sides in the world at home and away in India and Australia, it made it very difficult for us,” he added.

Root signed off by saying that the mental exhaustion and results not being favourable eventually prompted his resignation in 2022, but reassured fans that he is now in a much better headspace.

“Clearly we could have been better and we could have performed better, but it got to a point where that got a little bit too much for me and that it’s time to step away. As we sit here right now, the world’s very different. I’m in a very different place and I feel very energised and excited about the opportunity that lies ahead.”