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Joe Root’s smooth succession leaves only small matter of winning games

There were plenty of superlatives surrounding Joe Root’s ascension to the England captaincy but little indication of how to improve results.
There were plenty of superlatives surrounding Joe Root’s ascension to the England captaincy but little indication of how to improve results. Photograph: Ryan Browne/BPI/Rex/Shutterstock

The Joe Root inauguration week is finally over. His elevation to the England Test captaincy seemed to take longer than installing a prime minister and seldom has there been such unanimity at a time of change.

Andrew Strauss, the director of England cricket, oozed common sense and contentment. “I think we’re in a good place,” he said without mentioning the recent 4-0 defeat suffered by England under Alastair Cook in India.

“Often when there is a change of leader it’s a time of crisis one way or another,” Strauss said. “Certainly when England captains have resigned in the past it’s often been on the back of times when the team or they are in turmoil. It’s fantastic Alastair has been able to go out on his own terms and that Joe and Alastair have a really close relationship and that Alastair will continue playing.”

There is more that is “fantastic”. “Ben Stokes is far and away the best man to complement Joe,” Strauss said. “He’s developing fantastically quickly. He’s the perfect man for that role [the vice-captaincy] at the moment.”

Root also elaborated on Stokes. “He is the most passionate young man I’ve come across,” he said before recalling he first met him as a “podgy medium-pacer from Cumbria aged 12. He’s a bit different now.”

They played in the same England Under-19 team who participated in the World Cup in New Zealand in the winter of 2009-10, along with Jos Buttler and James Vince, a powerful looking side who finished eighth in the competition. “We know each other well, we get on well and we complement each other well when batting together,” Root said.

Given all the superlatives that were in the air at Headingley last week it was mildly surprising Strauss declined to confirm Stokes was now the heir apparent and guaranteed to take over if ever Root is absent.

“Just as when Joe was made vice-captain that doesn’t necessarily mean Ben is going to be a shoo-in as England captain at some stage. And I don’t think it would be right for me to say that in absolutely every circumstance Ben would definitely take over from Joe. But I do think that, by and large, there’s no reason why he can’t take over – and that’s certainly the intention,” said Strauss.

To complete the love-in Strauss outlined the depth of the relationships between the players taking on leadership roles and the coach, Trevor Bayliss. “One of Trevor’s great strengths is his ability to get on with pretty much everyone and many different characters.

“In many ways he’s brought the best out of Stokes; he worked very well with Alastair and he and Joe have an excellent relationship and they speak the same language on a lot of topics.”

Root, whose dry sense of humour should be an asset in his new job, confirmed this. “Yes, I’ve had a long conversation with Trevor already; it must have lasted two minutes.”

So all is peace and light within the England Test team as the leadership passes from one generation to the next. The unity is almost unprecedented and therefore disconcerting – there have been tensions, often overlooked, within most of the great sides in history. The fly in the ointment could come when they actually have to take to the field to try to win some games.

But not to worry; that problem does not arise until July.