Joe Root: “As a captain and senior player you have to stand up and deliver and I wasn’t able to do that”
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England captain Joe Root has admitted that he didn’t “stand up and deliver” during the Ashes series against Australia.
Even though England lost the series 4-0, Root was the team’s second-highest scorer with 378 runs, which included five half-centuries, at an average of 47.25.
However, Root’s figures pale in comparison to Australia skipper Steve Smith as he was the top scorer among all players with 687 runs, which included three centuries and two fifties, at an average of 137.40.
“Yes I think so,” Root was quoted as saying by Sky Sports. “You look at their senior players, someone like Steve Smith and the amount of runs he scored in a big series like that.
“As a captain and senior player you have to stand up and deliver and I wasn’t able to do that.
“That’s not sitting well with me right now and coming into a new series in New Zealand, you want to make sure you bounce back from that and set the example for the rest of the guys.”
However, despite being blown out of the water by Australia, Root pointed out that there were a few bright spots for England, which include batsman Dawid Malan and all-rounders Craig Overton and Tom Curran.
Malan was England’s highest scorer with 383 runs, which included a century and three half-centuries, at an average of 42.55.
Overton averaged 20.66 with the bat and 37.66 with the ball in the two Tests he played before suffering a fractured rib.
As for Curran, he also featured in two Tests and averaged 33 and 100 with the bat and ball respectively.
“I think there are some good things that have come out of this tour,” Root said. “I think we’ve got great depth and a lot of talent under the current side. It was an opportunity for those guys to stand up and try to make their case in an England shirt.
“Craig Overton came into the side and what a start he had to his international career. His first wicket was Steve Smith and he probably looked our best bowler until he went down [injured] in Perth.
“Dawid Malan as well – he played fantastically well. Mark Stoneman, for the first three Test matches, showed promise of a really good international opening batsman.”