LONDON: Ace batter Joe Root remained confident after speaking for the first time since returning as England captain ahead of the second Test against New Zealand, starting Wednesday at the Oval.
Speaking on the eve of the second test, Root revealed what it was like captaining the side despite never expecting to return to the role.
“I never thought I’d be sat here talking to you guys as England captain again. Zero chance… 0.1 percent,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
Root returns as skipper for the first time since 2022 after Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were left out of the squad following a nightclub controversy.
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Stokes and Atkinson were involved in an incident in a London nightclub after the first Test win against the BlackCaps. Following the incident, there were reports that the former would either be sacked or call time on his international cricket career.
Root remarked on bringing out the best in his side, noting that doing so would have a significant impact on his personal life.
“The only thinking that came to my mind is what is the best thing for this team, is it going to have a big effect on me and my personal life and which outweighed the other,” he said.
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He remained optimistic despite his poor record during his previous stint as England captain.
“The fact is it felt like it was the right thing to take this on, so I tried to make it as simple as that. I think I am in a very different place to when I finished.”
“To be captaining this group of players is a really exciting opportunity. It’s a game-by-game basis, I think. Let’s not look beyond this week,” he concluded.
It is worth mentioning that England managed to win only one out of 17 Tests before Root decided to step down as captain.
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