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Joe Root vows not to ‘rip up’ Bazball as he begins second stint as England Test captain
Joe Root is ready to lead England into a new era as he insists there is no need to rip up the Bazball blueprint ahead of the Test series against Pakistan.
Returning England captain Joe Root has no plans on “ripping up” the Bazball blueprint but believes his experience could be vital in putting the Test team back on track.
Root will begin his second chapter as skipper on home turf at Headingley this week, the first in a three-match series against Pakistan.
He will be picking up the pieces after a turbulent period that saw Ben Stokes’ dramatic retirement and Brendon McCullum’s removal as red-ball head coach.
The decision to install Root, who earned a reputation for conservative leadership during an initial five-year reign that ended unhappily in 2022, suggested a willingness to banish some of the tactical excesses that characterised Stokes’ tenure, but he hinted a gentler transition.
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Small things
“I don’t think there’s a huge amount we need to change,” he said. “It’s small things that will make a big difference.
“It’s not about ripping it up, I think it’s about keeping a lot of the good stuff we’ve been doing for a period of time, stuff that Ben and Baz built for a long while.
“I don’t believe there is one way of playing Test cricket. You’ve got to be adaptable and play the situation.
“It’s never the same throughout five days, there’s different challenges and you’ve got to adjust to the ebbs and flows throughout.”
Challenge
As for his own readiness to return to a role that had become an albatross around his neck towards the end of his prior stint, 35-year-old Root made it clear that he was fully prepared to embrace the challenge one more time.
“The landscape is different,” he said. “I’m a different player and person than I was when I (first) took over as captain.
“I’m in a very fortunate, unique position where I’ve got 60-odd games of experience to look back on. There are things I might want to change and do slightly differently.
“I had time to step away, play in a different environment, different coach, different captain, and see the game from a different lens.
“In many ways I feel as ready as any other England captain that’s been before, and to have that amount of experience is invaluable.”
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