Ben Stokes has said he fully backs Joe Root to continue as England captain amid calls for his sacking following a horror run in the ongoing Ashes Test series in Australia. Stokes said the blame for England’s poor showing so far should be shared by the entire team and not just the leadership group, consisting of captain Root and head coach Chris Silverwood.
Joe Root’s ability to lead England well has been questioned following England’s dismal showing in the Ashes. The tourists have been hammered in the first three Tests as Australia are eyeing a series sweep after going 3-0 up. Joe Root’s selection calls and on-field tactics have been scrutinized as England have got nothing right so far in Australia. The likes of Geoffrey Boycott and Ian Chappell have called for Root’s head amid England’s floundering Ashes campaign but quite a few have pointed out that the root of England’s problems go deeper than their captain.
Ben Stokes is being looked at as the ideal candidate to replace Root in case the World No. 1 Test batter decides to step down as England’s Test captain. However, Stokes has said he never aspired to be the captain of the senior national team.
“He’s done some great things. Obviously, this series hasn’t gone too well. Not from a captaincy point of view but from a team and results point of view. Unfortunately, the captain and coach bear the scrutiny for that but there are 10 other guys out there in the field besides the captain.
“At the end of the day, the most important people’s opinions are those guys in the dressing room and have our thorough support,” he said.
