After only three Tests, we know what sort of selector Ed Smith is. He disdains convention, favours youth, doesn’t mind a bits-and-pieces player. His style is two-thirds pragmatism, one‑third audacity.
After 17 Tests, we still don’t know what sort of captain Joe Root is. We have a sense, from his years in the ranks, of his character – smiley, cheeky, easy-going yet steely. But, as a general, he has no stamp. He is neither attacking nor defensive, neither a grandmaster nor a barnstormer. He is not a minor deity like Virat Kohli, nor a man with a plan like Eoin Morgan. He inherited some strong personalities – the metronomic miser Jimmy Anderson, the simmering showman Ben Stokes – and seems content to let them set different tones at different times.
Written by Tim de Lisle
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/aug/06/joe-root-establish-identity-england-captain under the title “Joe Root still needs to establish himself an identity as England captain | Tim de Lisle”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
