Root: ‘Foolish’ to alter England management after Ashes loss
Joe Root states it would be “foolish” for England to modify their management team following the Ashes loss and emphasizes the players’ “complete commitment” to the current arrangement. England faced defeats in the first three Tests in Australia within a mere 11 days, intensifying pressure on captain Ben Stokes, coach Brendon McCullum, and director of cricket Rob Key. Nevertheless, their two-day victory in the Boxing Day match at the MCG concluded an 18-Test winless streak for England in Australia that dated back to their success in the 2010-11 series.
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Sky Sports’ Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton discuss how England evaded a possible Ashes whitewash after breaking an 18-Test and 15-year winless streak in Australia.
They now aim to wrap up the tour positively with success in the concluding Test at Sydney starting January 4. Root, who captained the team during their 4-0 loss Down Under in both 2017-18 and 2021-22, remarked: “Regarding the playing group, we are fully committed to the management.
“They have been exceptional, so I believe it would be foolish (to overlook) the effort and accomplishments made.
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The positions of Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes came under scrutiny following the Ashes defeat.
“Consider the pool of players we possess; when you compare it to the team I led four years ago, every single player has advanced in their performance. This squad has grown as a cohesive unit.”
‘I think we’ve made significant progress as a team’ England’s preparation for the Ashes faced criticism following their participation in only one warm-up match against the second-string Lions before the first Test in Perth. The ECB is also investigating claims of excessive drinking during a mid-series break in Noosa, sparked by an unverified video appearing to depict batter Ben Duckett inebriated.
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England director of cricket Rob Key does not think there’s a drinking culture within the squad but will look into reports suggesting that the mid-series break in Noosa resembled a ‘stag do’.
Root further expressed: “Undoubtedly, there will always be areas for improvement and aspects to enhance, and yes, we can do better. There are certain segments that we will persistently work on, but the management puts in tremendous effort.”They might implement strategies that are somewhat different, straying from what we are accustomed to as an English team, but I believe we have made substantial progress as a unit, significantly due to the individuals we have supporting us.”Our approach has been distinctly different, yet we have seen considerable advancement in terms of how we have performed throughout this duration.”
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Root’s century in the second Ashes Test in Brisbane marked his first in Australia.
Why MCG victory feels ‘strange’ for Root Root has finally secured a Test win in Australia on his 18th attempt after previously being part of the 5-0 thumping in 2013-14, and he notched his first Ashes hundred away from home in the second Test at Brisbane earlier in the month. The batter commented: “I didn’t want to come here and lose another Ashes series.”(The win at the MCG) feels strange. It’s disheartening that we’ve lost the series, but it’s crucial that we managed to achieve a favorable result (in Melbourne).”It would be even better if we can win next week as well. Every Test match and each opportunity to represent your country is a significant privilege, a tremendous honor.”If we can build on it and recreate that success next time, it sets the momentum in the right direction for the next tour here (in 2029-30).”Ashes series in Australia 2025-26Australia leads the five-match series 3-1
Published: 2025-12-28 12:30:00
source: www.skysports.com
