"Never been a leader of substance" - Ian Chappell slams Joe Root, names potential replacement before 4th Ashes 2021 Test
Australian legend Ian Chappell once again came down heavily on Joe Root and England on Sunday. Chappel said Root wasn't a "leader of substance" and only got the red-ball captaincy because he was the only candidate available.
Root has invited a divulge of criticism as his team stares down the prospect of a 5-0 whitewash in Ashes 2021. The visitors are already 3-0 down in the series and the emergence of Covid-19 cases in the coaching setup only adds to the disarray.
Chappell, writing in his column for ESPNcricinfo, said Root's "lack of inspiration" has started to show in England's performances home and away. The former batter feels that the 31-year-old isn't the right man to make England a better side.
Chappell said:
"Even in England, Root's lack of inspiration as a leader is starting to show. Albeit in some trying times, because of the pandemic, England are starting to lose their reputation as a team that is difficult to beat at home.
"It's incorrect to make Root culpable, as he is easily England's best batter, but he has to accept some of the blame. He has never been a leader of substance and virtually gained the job because there was no other candidate and it was hoped he would grow into the job."
He added:
"It has become patently clear Root is not the man for the task if England want to be recognised as a tough team to beat in all circumstances."
Happy birthday @root66! 🎂 https://t.co/6W8P7YRV6q
Root is likely to stay on as captain for the two remaining Ashes Tests and maybe even further, purely because he was the side's best player by a long margin in 2021.
But that hasn't stopped murmurs about a potentially more charismatic leader waiting in the wings who could be the source of inspiration for a failing side.
"Only Ben Stokes could be considered captaincy material" - Ian Chappell names Joe Root's replacement
Ben Stokes finally broke Mark Wood's concentration! 💦💦
#Ashes https://t.co/KKObpTkXzV
Chappell admitted that finding an alternative to Root was much tougher than sacking him.
He feels that premier all-rounder Ben Stokes, who holds "the ability to lift the team", is the only captaincy material available to England. But he also warned that Stokes' enhanced workload might "break his spirit" in the long term.
Chappell concluded by saying:
"That is the easy part, bringing a tenure to an end; the tough job is finding a better incumbent. In the current side only Ben Stokes could be considered captaincy material. He has the qualities of a good captain; he's aggressive, inspirational, and has the ability to lift the team.
"It would be an extremely tough task, given his already demanding role as an allrounder. He has the ability to do the job but it could also break his spirit. The other major point to consider is, the ECB doesn't have a reputation for taking tough decisions."
The fourth Ashes 2021 Test will kickoff at 5:00 AM IST on January 5 in Sydney.