This is no suprise

Joe Root. Pic/Getty Images

Joe Root stepping down as captain of the England cricket team didn't come as a surprise at all. Just like for an Indian captain to survive a defeat against Pakistan is well-nigh impossible, so also for an Englishman to stay on after a massive loss in the Ashes series in Australia is very rare. What didn't help Root was that soon after the pounding in Australia, the England team went to West Indies and lost there too. Now with the greatest of respect to the men from the Caribbean, their Test team is no longer the fearsome one of the previous century. For England to lose to them meant that there is something seriously wrong with their cricket.

Yes, the selection of the squad where two bowlers with over 1,100 Test match wickets between them were left out, did not help, but here again with the coach sacked after the Australia disaster and the selection committee itself not certain which way to go, Root may have felt he was being cornered from all sides. What must have been the last straw on the camel's back would be to see that some of his ardent supporters from the former England captains and cricketers also being firm in their view that he should go and make way for someone else. Who that someone is going to be will probably be known in the next couple of weeks, but if ever the saying, a captain is only good as his team is, applies to any team then it's England.

Pretty ordinary English attack

They really have been pretty ordinary and to see them collapse against the West Indies like they did in the final Test was not a good sight for England fans. That Root read the tea leaves and left on his own accord does save the selection committee the embarrassing call to give him the marching orders.

Captaincy is never a bed of roses and especially today when even those who have never played the game even at the street level being able to have a say, the pressure to deliver is enormous. As a young captain with ideas of your own, a player can bring a lot of innovations and thoughts and strategy to the table. You can then see whether the rest of the team is buying into that or not. It's not just the captains, but also the coaches who are just that bit nervous at the start of their reigns because they are not sure if what they want resonates with the rest of the squad. In the squad could be some who may have been contenders to the captain's job and may not come on board at least whole-heartedly at the beginning and it is here that man management makes a difference. Contrary to the public perception, a deposed captain or someone who has stepped down, will be the least worry simply because now he knows that he can be dropped as a player too and so he will try his best at doing his job as a batsman or a bowler.

If the new captain has any smarts he will lean on to the former captain and get him involved a lot more in strategising if not in decision making. This way he gives the former captain the importance that he may be craving for and gets him to perform at his best.

A tough call

Who England appoint as the next skipper could well decide how England progress over the next few years. Ben Stokes is next in line, of course being the deputy to Root over the last couple years, but with his injury record as well as the mental health reason for which he didn't play the entire last English season it will be taking a huge chance. Will the responsibility lead to more pressure and also the injury position with his knees being a concern means he could miss a game or two, which means a new captain has to be appointed for that game. It's a tough call, but with English cricket looking to appoint a new Managing Director and coach and support staff, it could mark a totally new direction for English cricket.

We will come to know soon.

Professional Management Group