Joe Rout has retired as captain of England’s men’s cricket team, saying he is “extremely proud” to have led the national team.
Ruth was appointed to succeed Sir Alistair Cook in 2017 and led the country to a number of notable victories in the series.
He said: “After returning from the Caribbean tour and having time to think, I decided to give up as England’s men’s test captain.
“It was the most challenging decision I had to make in my career, but after discussing it with my family and people close to me, I know the time is right.”
The 31-year-old Ruth holds the record for most matches and victories as England’s men’s test captain, with his 27 victories putting him ahead of the great cricketers Michael Vaughn, Sir Alistair Cook and Sir Andrew Strauss.
Image: Joe Root from England in action against Australia in the third Ashes test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia in December 2021.
“I am extremely proud to have been the captain of my country and I will look back on the last five years with great pride.
“It was an honor for me to get the job done and to be the guardian of what is the pinnacle of English cricket.”
In 2015, he helped bring Ashes home when England triumphed over Australia, during which time he was crowned Player of the Series.
Root’s was a brilliant performance in a series of five games, making 460 runs and scoring centuries in the first and fourth tests.
“The best role model for many, many years”
Former captain Vaughn praised him as “the best role model in the game for many, many years” after the news surfaced on Friday morning.
He said on Twitter: “He gave everything with very little support for the red ball team under his control .. then he had to deal with the times of Covid .. he is still and will be (will be) the best model for imitation for many, many years .. now enjoy being a senior player for many more seasons. “
Ruth enjoyed immediate success as captain, both personally and in terms of results, after succeeding Cook after the defeat in India.
Image: In 2015, he helped bring Ashes home when England triumphed over Australia, during which time he was crowned Player of the Series. Photo: AP
The score of 190 in his debut as captain – the first test against South Africa at Lord’s in the summer of 2017 – was the highest of six centuries recorded by the England captains in their first match at work.
But his resignation came after the team’s not-so-dazzling performance in the series Ashes 2021-2022, in which England was defeated 4-0 in Australia.
The damn result prompted Australian cricket coach Ricky Poynting to call England the worst performer he has ever seen.
Root came up with the idea that now was the time to give way to someone else.
After the humiliating defeat in the ashes of Australia this winter, Root still believed he could restore this England team, a test team that lost its way in red ball cricket.
Fresh from another disappointing tour, this time in the West Indies, Ruth came up with the idea that now was the time to give way to someone else.
His overall record as captain is good, but there is no doubt that the challenges he faces at the top of cricket have made Ruth’s tenure incredibly difficult.
They do not want sympathy, but living in the bubbles of Covid-19 for a long time is not easy – embed the crisis of cricket in racism in the home club of Ruth Yorkshire and you have a captain of England, who was under great pressure.
This limited his performances with the bat, and no doubt he and everyone in England would like this decision to set him free – to allow him to rediscover the form that gave him the job in the first place.
He is still one of the best fighters on the planet – the second highest scorer in England in all time. He is 31 years old and has a lot of cricket left in him.
Image: Ben Stokes (right) will be a common name when discussing substitute captains. Photo: AP
Who’s next for captain?
Former England captain Michael Atherton told Sky Sports News: “I’m not surprised. He had reached a stage at the end of Ashes, even before the tour of the West Indies, where it was quite clear that change was needed.
Asked who could succeed Ruth, Atherton added: “Not much. Because of the check, you have to take your place. Ben Stokes is the obvious, and what helps is that Joe Ruth resigned voluntarily.
“Ben Stokes is very loyal to Joe and he will feel much easier to take the job if offered, given that Ruth has resigned voluntarily.
Stokes paid tribute to Root on Instagram, saying, “It was a great ride with you, buddy.”
“It was a privilege to watch one of my great friends take us all out on the field. You gave your all to English cricket and we all want to thank you for your sacrifices and hard work.
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