Joe Root believes England are moving in the right direction after a turbulent summer ended with a 3-0 Test series whitewash against Pakistan.
Root returned to the captaincy after Ben Stokes announced his shock retirement in June. He stepped back into a leadership role he had held for five years.
His return came during a period of major change for England. Stokes left the team, while off-field controversy added further pressure. England also removed Brendon McCullum from his red-ball coaching role.
However, England responded strongly against Pakistan. They won at Headingley, Lord’s and Edgbaston. England sealed an eight-wicket victory at Edgbaston on Saturday.
The three wins have restored Root’s confidence. He now believes England are starting to regain stability.
Excellent response
Root admitted that the build-up to the series was far from straightforward. He described the summer as “very unusual”. He also agreed that “chaos” was a fair description of the situation.
However, the veteran batter praised England’s response.
“I think the way that we’ve responded to that has been excellent,” Root said after scoring an unbeaten 62 at Edgbaston.
England reached 130 for two in the chase. They had lost both openers for ducks, but Root helped steady the innings.
The former captain also highlighted the growing clarity within the squad.
“The fact that there’s now clarity in what is expected of the group moving forward is quite evident,” Root said.
“We build on that now.”
Stronger culture
Root knows that changing England’s culture will take time. The team has faced several incidents that raised questions about standards away from the cricket field.
Brydon Carse left the squad after police arrested him outside a Derby nightclub. Police later de-arrested him. The incident remains under investigation.
Root believes such issues show why England must maintain strong standards.
“When you’re trying to build a culture, it doesn’t happen overnight,” he explained.
“It doesn’t happen over the course of three or four weeks.”
“It’s going to take time to keep working at that. We have to live it day in and day out. That’s something we’ll continue to keep working at.”
Right direction
Despite the setbacks, Root believes England have made significant progress.
Pakistan put England under pressure during Saturday’s chase. However, Root and Jordan Cox stayed calm and guided England to victory.
Cox finished unbeaten on 59. Root believes experiences like this will help the team in future matches.
“We’ll be better for it, we’ll learn from it and be prepared next time around,” he said.
“You learn a lot about your team in those kind of situations.”
Stephen Fleming will soon take charge as England’s long-term red-ball head coach. His arrival will begin another new chapter for the team.
Root accepts that England still have plenty of work to do. However, he believes the team now has a clear direction.
England endured a summer filled with uncertainty. Their 3-0 series win over Pakistan has provided a much-needed boost.
“We’ve just got to keep doing the right things,” Root said.
“If we can align that with playing well and winning series, then everything is heading in the right direction,” he concluded.
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