JOE ROOT NAMED AS ENGLAND TEST CAPTAIN

JOE ROOT NAMED AS ENGLAND TEST CAPTAIN Joe Root has been appointed Captain of the England Test team by the England & Wales Cricket Board. The current vice-captain, he succeeds Alastair Cook to become the 80th captain of the England Test team. He will be supported by Ben Stokes as England vice-captain. Colin Graves, Chairman of the ECB, approved the appointments on Sunday evening following the recommendation of the Selectors under the guidance of Director of England Cricket Andrew Strauss. Announcing the appointment of Joe Root, Colin Graves said: “Joe Root is the perfect choice for England Test captain. I’m delighted that he has accepted the role and will now help to take the team to the next level. “When I spoke to him last night you could feel the excitement and sense the pride – he can’t wait to get started. “Joe is a fine player and a fine person who has the respect of the players, the Selectors and all at the ECB. He also has a changing room with experienced players and leaders who will support him from the start. “The role of Test captain is an honour and a responsibility which he thoroughly deserves. Joe has maturity beyond his years and having seen him develop at Yorkshire over the last ten years I know his qualities well. “I offer my congratulations to Joe for becoming Test captain and, once again, my thanks to Alastair Cook for the way he has developed the team, the timing of his decision and the platform he has given his successor.” Joe Root made his Test debut in December 2012 and was named vice-captain to Alastair Cook in summer 2015. He scored the first of his eleven Test centuries at Headingley in May 2013 and currently has a total of 4,594 Test runs at an average of 52.80, placing him third in the ICC rankings for Test batsmen. On accepting the role of England Test captain, Joe Root said: “It is a huge honour to be given the England Test captaincy. I feel privileged, humbled and very excited. “We have a very good group of players and I’m looking forward to leading them out in the summer, building on Alastair’s achievements and making the most of our talents in the years ahead. “The senior guys in the changing room play a very influential role and whilst there’s a natural progression for me it’s a huge support to know that they are there to help and advise.” After Alastair Cook stepped down from the role last week, Andrew Strauss consulted key members of the team and coaching staff and – with Head Coach Trevor Bayliss – held in-depth conversations with [three] players before the Selectors made their final decision. Director of England Cricket, Andrew Strauss said: “Joe is the right man to be our next Test Captain and I’m thrilled that he has accepted the role. “After Alastair Cook stepped down last week, the Selectors and I engaged in the proper process to appoint his successor. Following informal and formal conversations with members of the Test team at the end of the week, the offer was put to Joe and he accepted immediately. “Joe has shown a number of admirable qualities in his Test career so far. Making his debut in 2012 at the age of 21 and going on to establish himself as one of the premier batsmen in all forms of the game in such a short period of time demonstrates his drive, determination, cricketing intelligence and an ability to learn that will serve him well in his new role. “He is universally respected by his team mates, passionate about driving the Test team forward and extremely excited about the prospect of leading his country. “I’m also delighted that Ben Stokes will take over from Joe as vice-captain of the team. He has real presence and influence within the team environment that serve as a great source of support for Joe. I have no doubts that the responsibility will also help Ben to continue his rapid rise as a world class all-rounder.”