"Joe Root's captaincy often lacks imagination and reason"- Former Australia skipper Ian Chappell
Former Australia skipper Ian Chappell is unimpressed with Joe Root's captaincy and branded him as an unimaginative captain who dithers a lot while coming to a decision.
England will play six more Tests before they take on Australia down under in December, but Ian Chappell has already found some holes in the English camp.
Writing in his column for ESPNCricinfo, Chappell opines that England have the fast bowlers to create trouble for Australia, but it's their batting and Joe Root's captaincy that is a cause for concern.
"England possess a potential series-winning group of fast bowlers. It is the top-order batting and Joe Root's captaincy that should be cause for concern. Root’s captaincy often lacks imagination and reason. His tendency to have long discussions with senior players is reminiscent of Alastair Cook at his worst."
Adding further, Chappell wrote:
“There’s a difference between a captain who consults and one who is uncertain; dithering is a bad look for a captain. There are times in Australia when a captain has to be imaginative in order to force the issue and this is not one of Root’s strengths.”
Joe Root has led England 50 times in the longest format (discounting the ongoing Test), winning 26 and losing 18, while six matches ended in a draw. The 30-year old has his Test win percentage at 50.98 as captain.
"Opening combination of Dominic Sibley and Rory Burns is both ungainly and unconvincing"- Ian Chappell
Dismantling the England team further, Chappell believes the opening partnership of Rory Burns and Dominic Sibley is unconvincing, and the likes of Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins will be licking their lips while coming up against them.
"The opening combination of Dominic Sibley and Rory Burns is both ungainly and unconvincing. Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood should rejoice if both names appear in the top slots on the team sheet at the Gabba. Given the skill of Australia's pace trio, poor starts could be a death sentence for England," Chappell wrote.
Rory Burns recently stood tall amidst ruins in the ongoing Test against New Zealand. The batsman scored 132 of his team's 275 runs in the first innings against the Blackcaps. Dom Sibley, meanwhile, was dismissed for a duck at Lord's, and his poor run of form continues after his wretched tour of India, where he averaged just over 16 in four Tests.