Joe Root has made the decision to end his time at England Test captain after the recent Test series defeat to the West Indies.
On the back of losing the Ashes 4-0, Root and his squad were under pressure to deliver in their next series, but a 1-0 reverse extended a winless streak in the five-day arena to nine matches.
At a time when changes have already been made behind the scenes, question marks naturally remained over Root’s future, despite the 31-year-old’s suggestions that he planned to remain as skipper for the summer.
However, after leading his country in a record 64 Tests, winning 27 and losing 26, Root says that he is making the decision ‘at the right time’.
In a statement, Root said: “It has been the most challenging decision I have had to make in my career but having discussed this with my family and those closest to me; I know the timing is right.
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“I am immensely proud to have captained my country and will look back on the past five years with enormous pride. It has been an honour to have done the job and to have been a custodian of what is the pinnacle of English cricket.
“I have loved leading my country, but recently it’s hit home how much of a toll it has taken on me and the impact it has had on me away from the game.”
Root, who will continue to represent England, has made 14 centuries and 5,295 runs since being succeeding Sir Alastair Cook in 2017.