London, Aug 12 (IANS) In his second spell as England’s Test captain, Joe Root has done away with the midnight curfew imposed on his side and has urged players to behave like ‘grown adults’ as they prepare for the upcoming series against Pakistan, starting at Headingley on August 19.
The decision marks a clear departure from the ECB’s player behaviour guidelines introduced in July following a string of off-field alcohol-related incidents — like former captain Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were out past a midnight curfew after England won the first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s.
“There’s not going to be a curfew. I don’t think this needs to be a big deal, to be honest. My view on the curfew is that the players are doing their work, and if you want guys to take responsibility on the field, they’ve got to feel like they can be grown adults and make good, strong decisions off it.
“That’s for us as a team to manage well, and police well for me and (new head coach) Stephen Fleming. We should be known for how we play cricket and what we do on the field. We should be on the back page of papers,” Root said in the latest episode of the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast.
Underlining the need for a healthy team culture, Root added, “Be adults, look after yourselves, look after each other. (We need to) create a good, strong culture where you know when the right time is to celebrate and enjoy a win or to have a sensible beer, but remember — you’ve got to play for England.
“I don’t want people to feel like they can’t enjoy winning a Test match because they want to have a beer or, at the right time, let their hair down, and then that’s absolutely fine. We’re human beings at the end of the day. You know what your responsibilities are, you know how you need to prepare for a Test match and what it takes, and the effects that these things can have on you. So be smart, be sensible, and just be an adult.”
Addressing his relationship with the coaching setup, Root admitted he was disappointed by the departure of former Test coach Brendon McCullum, while expressing enthusiasm for working alongside incoming head coach Stephen Fleming.
“I’ll be honest with you. I was gutted when I found out Brendon was no longer going to be the Test coach. He’s someone that I feel has really got the best out of me personally. I love the way he sees the game, and the way that he’s opened my eyes up to looking at it slightly differently. I feel like he’s a brilliant coach.
“I’m very glad that we still get to work together in the white-ball stuff. He’s someone that I owe a huge amount to, and that I’ve become pretty close with. I think they’re doing brilliant stuff in white-ball teams. And I wish him all the very best in that.”
Welcoming Fleming to the Test fold, Root said, “(Fleming and I) have crossed paths a bit over the last few years when he’s coached different teams around the world. I have someone that I’ve always admired. “He’s someone that I really did admire as a player. The way that he’s always held himself as a captain first and foremost. His record as a coach has been exceptional, albeit in T20 cricket. There’s so much that I’m looking forward to in that respect.”
Reflecting on his first term in charge, Root acknowledged past tactical errors, especially regarding the insane workload of speedster Jofra Archer, and vowed to handle the fast bowler with greater care this time.
“I think at times maybe I did over-bowl him and over-use him. The attack that he works with now complements him really well. (Now) there are other people that can potentially play a role that I might have used Jofra for in the past. I believe he’s a generational talent and someone who is going to produce wonderful things for England across the formats.
“In Test cricket, he’s capable of doing some wonderful things. Clearly, as I said, I didn’t get everything right the first time around. I made mistakes, but he’s going to be a really important factor in what we do moving forward. I’m very excited to work with him again.”
Root also addressed the public perception surrounding his return to the leadership role. “I think the hardest thing for me will be people’s opinion of how I captained four years ago. I think it’s very important to remember, and for me to remember more than anything, I’m a completely different player from what I was four years ago. As a player, I’ve always looked to evolve and move my game forward.
“I don’t see this as any different. You’ve got to learn. When you make mistakes and when you get things wrong, you look at yourself, and you know you don’t want to make that mistake again. You learn from it, and you deal with it for the next time around. That shouldn’t be a hindrance. I hope people don’t see it like that. I hope they see it as a massive upside to getting the chance to do it again.”
Asked whether he would welcome a potential Test return for former skipper Ben Stokes ahead of the 2027 Ashes, Root signed off by saying, “I don’t know — let’s get there first.”
–IANS
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