Michael Vaughan says being England captain could be decisive for Joe Root By Beatriz
4 min read
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Former captain Michael Vaughan has expressed the belief that the responsibility of leading the England cricket team could be exactly what Joe Root needs at this stage of his career.
During his appearance on the Test Match Special podcast, Vaughan indicated that Root’s return to the role, which he previously held between 2017 and 2022, could renew his enthusiasm for Test cricket.
Vaughan speculated that, given the extensive number of games Root has already played, he might need a new drive, a kind of motivational “trigger”.
He also noted that with the departure or retirement of many of his closest colleagues on the team, captaincy can fill a void and provide new purpose.
Root resumes the role of captain under interim coach Marcus Trescothick following the release of Brendon McCullum. This stint will be temporary as New Zealander Stephen Fleming takes over the Test leadership for the upcoming winter tour of South Africa. Root had stepped down from the captaincy in 2022 after a run of nine games without a win and a 10-wicket defeat to the West Indies, citing the draining impact of the role.
However, Vaughan assessed that Root faced an unfavorable period during his first stint as Test captain. He highlighted that at the time, England were focused on winning the 50-over World Cup, directing all efforts towards white-ball cricket. Furthermore, the Covid-19 pandemic posed unprecedented challenges to leadership, and the end of his captaincy on the Caribbean tour felt like an undue burden.
In Vaughan’s view, Root, now more mature and experienced, can benefit from Stephen Fleming’s support. The new coach can assist in several tasks that traditionally exhaust captains, such as organizing the dressing room and ensuring the team has a good tactical order.
Vaughan reflected on Joe Root’s remaining achievements in the sport, such as surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s runs record. For Vaughan, being an Ashes winner next year and a world leader in runs in Test cricket would be the crowning achievement of a perfect career.
Fleming is seen as the best option after another coach refused
Stephen Fleming has been appointed to a four-year contract, meaning he will captain England in the next two Ashes series. Michael Vaughan praised director Rob Key’s decision, describing the choice as “very savvy”.
Initially, former England Test coach Andy Flower was linked to the role, but the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and London Spirit coach chose to withdraw from the selection process.
Fleming joins the team from Chennai Super Kings this month, where he served as coach of the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise for the past nine seasons.
Vaughan explained that after the refusal of Flower, who he believed was the first choice, the search turned to “the next best” candidate, who turned out to be Fleming. He mused that while some might question Fleming’s lack of experience in red-ball cricket, he is an experienced manager and coach, familiar with the modern game due to his time with Chennai Super Kings.
Vaughan praised Fleming’s qualities as an excellent captain in his playing days, a skilled tactician and renowned for his people management skills.
Fleming’s closeness to Brendon McCullum was also a crucial factor, according to Vaughan. He believes that the choice avoids possible friction, as someone who did not know McCullum’s style (“Baz”) could have caused difficulties in the transition.
Fleming, who retired as a player in 2009, has extensive experience in Test cricket, with 111 appearances for New Zealand and 7,172 runs scored at an average of 40.06 in the middle order.
McCullum was known for promoting an aggressive style of cricket, nicknamed “Bazball”. However, Vaughan said Fleming will need to implement changes to England’s style and technique.
“I’m a bit tired of talking about England’s style of play. The style of play I want to see is England winning,” added Vaughan.
He reiterated that regardless of the style adopted on a given day, session or time, England must play in a way that guarantees victories.
Vaughan emphasized that time to discuss talent and the talent gap in English cricket is limited, and that the team needs to start winning games and winning trophies.
He pointed out that one of the biggest needs of the Test team is batting technical training.
Vaughan questioned how many players can look in the mirror and demonstrate controlled, forward defending when Michael Neser, Matt Henry or Scott Boland deliver a long ball at the off stump line.
The former captain concluded that while players may not like to talk about technique, it is technique that defines success in Test cricket. The technical deficiencies in England’s batting have been evident, suggesting that as well as a good group leader, a change or two in the support staff are needed to ensure the players receive the best coaching.
