Amid recent reflection on the so-called “summer of four captains” of 1988, the witticism around English cricket has been that at least, then, they had four options from which to choose. As Rob Key worked through the process of appointing a new Test head coach, he spoke to each of the candidates about who they would want as captain were they to get the job. It would be a surprise if more than two names were realistically mentioned; a binary choice, it seems, between Harry Brook and Joe Root led to Key and Stephen Fleming agreeing that it was “too soon” for the former’s elevation.
Welcome back, then, to a skipper who has won one of his last 18 Tests in charge; an individual so worn down by the role last time that he described developing an “unhealthy relationship” with the captaincy. Say it ain’t Joe? It is to Root’s credit that, when asked to wear the blazer again, there was no hesitation in accepting – but it is hard to shake a sense that an offer to a 35-year-old who had already led his country in a record 65 matches would not, in an ideal world, have been forthcoming.
