"The only thing I am worried about is winning this week" - Joe Root unfazed by captaincy criticism
England skipper Joe Root has stated that criticism against his captaincy hardly bothers him and his focus is on beating Australia in Melbourne. Root also clarified there are no conflicts between him and the bowlers following his controversial statement after the Adelaide Test.
Root expressed his disappointment following a 275-run loss at the Adelaide Oval, blaming the bowlers for not learning their lessons. The 31-year-old felt the seamers needed to go fuller instead of short to challenge or unsettle the Australian batters.
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Ahead of the third Test, Joe Root declared his sole motive is to make the 0-2 scoreline 1-2 in Melbourne. As far as criticisms around his leadership skills go, he said people can have their views and hardly pay them any attention. Root stated, as quoted by The West Australian:
"The only thing I am worried about is winning this week. Starting well and making sure we get that first hour right. It’s hard to look beyond that at the minute. External comments - they are entitled to their opinion. But ultimately we have to look after our own house and make sure that as a group we’re doing what we need to do. It doesn’t faze me,"
Former Australian legend Ricky Ponting condemned Root's remarks about his bowlers, saying he should not remain captain if he fails to influence his teammates. Meanwhile, Michael Atherton has stated that the 31-year-old's tenure as skipper could end should he suffer another loss in the Ashes.
"I was asked some direct questions after the game about our length and I answered them" - Joe Root
Root addressed his statement about the England bowlers, conceding that his assessment was honest. The talismanic right-handed batter stressed the importance of working together and added:
"I was asked some direct questions after the game about our length and I answered them. If you had asked me about our batting, I would have said something similar. That’s just where we are as a team. It’s working alongside them, it’s not a dictatorship, making sure together we are happy with how things are going. Every now and then we don’t agree with everything, that’s fine."
Root, who has had a prolific 2021 in Test cricket, is aiming for his first away Ashes hundred in the Boxing Day Test. He came close to three figures in the second innings in Brisbane before falling for 89.