“I hope Joe Root will be a little bit more aggressive and try and win games”
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Legendary Australia leg-spinner Shane Warne believes that England will show a lot more enthusiasm and aggression in Test matches now that Joe Root has taken over as captain.
Root replaced Alastair Cook as skipper in February, but will have to wait until the four-Test series against South Africa, which begins on July 6, to lead his country in a Test match.
Warne has never been an advocate of the 32-year-old despite Cook having been in charge for 59 Tests, which now stands as an England record.
The reason for this is that Warne sees Cook as being a little old-fashioned in his leadership ideology. But, with Root having succeeded him, the 47-year-old expects that to change.
“I think he has a bit more flair than Alastair Cook,” Warne said. “Alastair Cook had a lot of strengths … (but) I think (Root) will be a lot different tactically.
“Even recently in India, England had a great chance to win that first Test but batted too long. That’s been a bit of a sign with England, where they’ve just batted a bit too long (so) they can’t lose the game.
“I hope Root will be a little bit more: ‘We’re going to try and win this.’
“I think Alastair Cook got better – no one is their best version of themselves as captain when they start. I was very critical of Alastair Cook at the start because he wasn’t making a run either, and I didn’t think he captained the side that well. But that was three or four years ago.
“I hope Joe Root will be a little bit more aggressive and try and win games, rather than make sure they don’t lose them.”
Given that Root is 26 and has been leading by example with the bat for the last couple of years, Warne is excited to see what lies ahead for England under the leadership of the Dore native.
“I think it will bring the best out in him, he will enjoy it. I’m excited to see the way he (does it),” he said. “I hope (it’s) like the way he bats.
“He’s aggressive, and takes the game on – he likes to be positive all of the time – so I hope that rubs off in his captaincy.”