'Joe, have you got the energy?' – Vaughan says ECB chiefs must ask captain Root key question

By Sports Desk March 26, 2022

Joe Root should be asked again if he truly wants to stay on as England captain, according to former skipper Michael Vaughan.

As England toiled in the early stages of day three of the third Test against West Indies, Vaughan said England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chiefs should sit down with Root after the series in the Caribbean.

The ECB is advertising for an England men's team managing director, but Vaughan says a priority should be the captaincy.

England's bowlers struggled to make inroads in the latter stages of West Indies' innings on Saturday, allowing Joshua Da Silva to reach a maiden Test century and the hosts to open a 93-run first-innings lead.

Vaughan questioned the vitality of the England players, a number of whom are still carrying scars from the team's 4-0 Ashes drubbing.

Interim managing director Andrew Strauss said after England's Ashes calamity that Root was "absolutely clear" he wanted to keep the captaincy. However, Vaughan thinks the time has come to ask again.

"I think the biggest meeting first and foremost is to sit with Joe Root, and really look him in the eyes and say, 'Have you got the energy?'," Vaughan said on BT Sport.

"There comes that moment as England captain that the energy is not with you. You're still going out there, you're still trying your best, but you've not got the energy. If he has got the energy, then I would stick with him. But if he's lost that energy and the real drive and that desire… As a captain, you have to wake up every morning and it's got to be your love, captaining the England side.

"If you've lost that ounce of any kind of loving it, you've got to give it up. If he's lost that desire and love to captain England, just be the batter, because he'll score as many runs, and he'll still be a great leader in the side.

"I can see an England captain that looks a little bit drained."

Vaughan said of England's morning performance, as West Indies advanced from 232-8 to 297 all out: "It looked an England side, and England captain, that looked very, very tired."

He praised the home team's efforts in frustrating the tourists, but added: "I'm pretty sure there'll be a lot of England fans out there watching the telly, throwing things at the screen and thinking, 'I could do a lot better than that'.

"It was just a little bit of a lack of imagination. It concerned me a bit about the skipper this morning, I didn't think he tried enough, didn't try himself early enough."

Part-time spinner Root eventually brought himself on to bowl and took the final wicket, having Jayden Seales caught and bowled.

"As a captain in those kinds of situations, you've got to be so energised, you've got to be on your bowlers, you've got to be on your team, you've got to be creating ideas, creating angles," said Vaughan. "I didn't see enough of that this morning."

Root's difficult day got worse after lunch when he was caught at slip for five off Kyle Mayers to leave England 27-2 in their second innings.

Related items

  • England will not adopt negative approach after humbling in India – Zak Crawley England will not adopt negative approach after humbling in India – Zak Crawley

    Zak Crawley insists England will not adopt a “negative” approach after their recent 4-1 series defeat in India but acknowledged they must learn when to absorb pressure.

    India inflicted the first series loss of the Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum era after they stormed back from going one down in Hyderabad to win the last four Tests in comprehensive fashion.

    It sparked debate over England’s aggressive ‘Bazball’ style following a string of batting collapses and head coach McCullum accepted they had to refine their style moving forward.

    Crawley said: “We always talk about absorbing pressure and putting pressure back on.

    “The last couple of years we’ve done the putting pressure back on pretty well and we’ve spoken about maybe picking those moments to absorb at the right times as well. We can certainly refine that.

    “That’s not to say we’re going to get more negative. We will still try to play the way we have and try to score quickly but yeah, picking those moments where they’re on top and we need to absorb.

    “Or even the other way where they’re on top and you feel like you need to put it back on. It is just getting it right.

    “(Stokes) spoke about it after the series where we need a little bit of refinement. It is not big changes.

    “We just need to make sure we stay positive and don’t let a tough result get in the way of what we’re done really well over the last couple of years.”

    England’s strategy of moving the game forward quickly with higher run-rates and early declarations took the cricket world by storm as they won 10 of their first 11 Tests under Stokes and McCullum.

    However, seven defeats have followed from the next 12 matches and a lack of a ruthless streak has cost England at times.

    After England posted a first innings total of 353 in the fourth Test in Ranchi, they reduced India to 177 for seven but let the hosts off the hook and, instead of setting up a series decider, they crumbled to a crushing five-wicket defeat.

    “We genuinely believed in ourselves and thought we could win the series,” Crawley, speaking at a sponsors event for Swiss watch brand Rado, the England and Wales Cricket Board’s official timing partner, admitted.

    “We should have won in Ranchi, I think, to make it 2-2 and then you never know how the last one goes.

    “When the series goes like that, it is always hard to wrestle the momentum back but we were in the series massively and we always believed.

    “We certainly weren’t in the games when I was in India last time (in 2021), so we gave ourselves a good chance and we weren’t quite clinical enough like they were.

    “Over five days, their skills are always going to come out and they are a phenomenal team. It was a really enjoyable tour though, we gave it a good crack and there is a lot to learn from.”

    A beacon of light again for England was Crawley, who for the second series in a row led the scoring charts for his team.

    The Kent batter was notably labelled as a player whose “skillset is not to be a consistent cricketer” by McCullum in 2022.

     

    View this post on Instagram

    A post shared by Kent Cricket (@kentcricket)

     

    A string of low scores increased the external noise around his position prior to last summer’s Ashes but the 26-year-old always retained the faith of England’s key decision-makers.

    Now, 12 months on, Crawley has hit seven 50+ scores and averaged 46.7 against the two best attacks in the world, which included a sensational 189 at Old Trafford last July.

    “I feel in a lot better place than I was,” Crawley added.

    “I’m not trying to put too much pressure on any games to be honest. When I am playing for England or for Kent, I just try and turn up with the same process.

    “I am trying to embrace failure more and accepting it is part of the game and sticking with what I do well.”

  • Jamie George assists with England training during Guinness Women’s Six Nations Jamie George assists with England training during Guinness Women’s Six Nations

    Jamie George has been enlisted to help preparations for England’s Guinness Women’s Six Nations clash with Wales after volunteering his services to head coach John Mitchell.

    Fresh from leading the England men’s team in an encouraging Championship, George worked with Red Roses hookers Lark Atkin-Davies, Connie Powell, Amy Cokayne and May Campbell at their Surrey training base on Wednesday.

    Mitchell struck up a close relationship with the 90-cap Saracens star during his time as Eddie Jones’ assistant and the Kiwi hopes it will be the start of greater knowledge sharing between the senior teams.

    “I worked with Jamie before and this wasn’t forced or coerced by me. I’ve kept in touch since my departure as a coach and wished him well for the Six Nations,” Mitchell said.

    “When I got this role he said if you ever any help just sing out. He was the one who actually encouraged it for this situation. We’ve made it work and I think the girls have enjoyed it.”

    England captain Marlie Packer knows George from Saracens, who she has represented since 2017, and sees the benefit of skills swapping with members of Steve Borthwick’s squad.

    “The girls really enjoyed it. We don’t want to force it because the men have their own programmes, the same as us, so the timing needs to be right for both,” Packer said.

    “We also have that club connection as well, Jamie has been doing some work with me at Saracens. It’s not just about the red roses, I know Bristol Bears do a lot with their men.”

    Mitchell has rotated his squad for Saturday’s clash with Wales at Ashton Gate by making seven changes following the 48-0 thumping of Italy in round one.

    Centres Tatyana Heard and Megan Jones, half-backs Natasha Hunt and Holly Aitchison, prop Maud Muir, lock Rosie Galligan and number eight Alex Matthews are the new faces.

    Back row Sarah Beckett is unavailable until the final match of the tournament against France after receiving a three-match ban for a dangerous clear out against Italy, but Mitchell confirmed she will come into consideration for that game.

    Second row Zoe Aldcroft will win her 50th cap after being one of the eight players retained in the starting XV.

    “Zoe is a massive competitor. She’s like a little springer spaniel in training! When she speaks, the girls listen,” Packer said.

    “Everyone knows she’s world class in everything she does and how she goes about her business.”

  • Cricket West Indies announces upcoming strategic plan for 2024-2027: "The Long Run" Cricket West Indies announces upcoming strategic plan for 2024-2027: "The Long Run"

    Cricket West Indies (CWI) is set to unveil its new four-year strategic plan for 2024-2027, titled "The Long Run". Recently presented to the Board of Directors during a board meeting in Antigua and discussed with shareholders at the Annual General Meeting, this strategic blueprint marks a pivotal juncture for the organization and West Indies cricket.

    Reflecting on 2023 as a year of recovery and describing it as crucial in laying the groundwork for this ambitious plan, CWI Chief Executive Officer, Johnny Grave, provided insight stating, "We are excited to present “The Long Run”, our strategic roadmap for the next four years. This plan sets a clear and ambitious path for CWI, focusing on strengthening our cricket system at all levels and maximizing our commercial value on the foundation of stable finances." 

    Grave underscored the importance of stakeholder involvement in shaping the organization's future direction. "Having presented the strategic plan to our Board of Directors and shareholders, we are now preparing to circulate it for wider discourse. It is essential that our stakeholders not only understand but also actively engage with the strategic plan as we move forward into another four-year cycle." 

    “The Long Run” will outline key objectives and initiatives aimed at fostering growth, sustainability, and excellence in cricket. It will encompass measures to enhance governance, player development, grassroots programs, fan engagement, and commercial partnerships, aligning with CWI's overarching vision to elevate West Indies cricket in the region and on the global stage. 

    The strategic plan, developed internally, represents a collaborative effort by the CWI management team. It includes extensive consultations and valuable insights from staff and players. Business Planning Manager Lynford Inverary led the process, with input from the wider cricket stakeholders’ group. 

    The Long Run – a strategic plan for elevating West Indies Cricket 2024-27 

    Six Strategic Pillars:

    · Cricket:

    -Elite & High-Performance

    -Cricket Development & Participation

    -Facilities & Infrastructure

    ·Finance & Fans:

    -Commercial & Financial

    -Fan Engagement & Global Visibility

    ·Structure:

    -Governance

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.