"I think he's a pretty lucky lad, to be honest" - Nasser Hussain on Joe Root retaining the Test captaincy amid ECB shake-up
Former England captain Nasser Hussain believes Joe Root is lucky to escape unscathed in the ongoing ECB axing spree. Ashley Giles, Chris Silverwood and Graham Thrope were relieved of their duties following the team's poor performances, especially in the longest format.
Interim ECB manager Andrew Strauss has stated Joe Root will continue to lead the side for the upcoming series against West Indies. England's most successful Test captain is under a lot of pressure following the team's recent 4-0 drubbing in the Ashes. While speaking on Sky Sports, Hussain said:
"I think Joe Root's a pretty lucky lad, to be honest, and as much as all the mistakes Silverwood made, are the same mistakes pretty much that Joe Root is accountable for. Whether it be the toss at Brisbane, the selection throughout the Ashes tour and various other things."
England were on the backfoot in the Ashes from the very first day of the tour. Root made the controversial decision to bat first on a green surface under overcast conditions. The Three Lions were bundled out for 147 on the first day and never truly recovered from the debacle.
"I think there are plenty of decisions still to be made" - Nasser Hussain
While Strauss is managing affairs at the moment, the hunt for a head coach is underway as well. Names like Gary Kirsten, Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer have all been linked with the job. Hussain notes that the new technical director and the coach could potentially move in a different direction once they are in charge of the team. Hussain explained:
"Root is a fantastic guy, a fantastic player, the most successful captain we've ever had, and maybe Andrew Strauss again has been that calm, sensible head thinking let's just delay the decision on Root because you don't know the next coach coming in, not the interim, the next director of cricket and coach might want to go in a different direction."
The 53-year-old concluded:
"Strauss is now only looking after the things in the interim, if he makes the change now and the director of cricket and the new coach wants to change things, his hands are tied behind his back. So, I think there are plenty of decisions still to be made."
England have a lot of issues on their hands, right from the cricketing structure in the country to the talent coming out of the county championship. The team are currently languishing at the bottom of the WTC table on the back of tame defeats against India and Australia.