Boycott slams Root’s captaincy as Stokes returns to lead England
Geoffrey Boycott argues Joe Root failed to learn from past errors, particularly regarding Jofra Archer’s workload, as the England and Wales Cricket Board confirms Ben Stokes’ return for the Trent Bridge clash.
Former England cricketer Geoffrey Boycott has issued a stark critique of Joe Root’s leadership, arguing that the stand-in captain demonstrated no improvement from his previous tenure in charge. Writing for The Telegraph, Boycott pointed to England’s 253-run defeat to New Zealand in the second Test at The Oval as evidence that Root had learned “nothing” from his earlier stint as England captain.
Root was appointed captain ahead of vice-captain Harry Brook while Ben Stokes served a suspension. The suspension followed an investigation into an incident involving a rugby player, which resulted in written warnings for Stokes and Gus Atkinson from the England and Wales Cricket Board for breaching contractual obligations. During Root’s time in charge, England fielded three debutants and suffered his 27th loss as a Test captain.
Boycott’s criticism focused heavily on Root’s management of fast bowler Jofra Archer. He drew parallels between Root’s decisions at The Oval and England’s 2019 tour of New Zealand, where Archer was asked to bowl long spells and deliver short-pitched balls. Boycott described Root’s decision to ask Archer to bowl an eight-over spell at the end of the first day as “madness,” noting the high volume of short balls aimed at Glenn Phillips and the tail-enders.
While Boycott praised Root as the “undisputed best batsman in the world” following the retirements of Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson, he maintained that Root lacks a natural feel for captaincy. He contrasted Root’s approach with Stokes’ ability to manage Archer, stating that Stokes possesses the intuition required to set fields and choose bowlers effectively.
The England and Wales Cricket Board has confirmed that Stokes will return to lead the side for the third Test at Trent Bridge. Boycott welcomed this development, stating, “Thank heavens Ben Stokes will be back to lead England at Trent Bridge,” suggesting that Stokes’ leadership style is better suited to handling the team’s key players than Root’s tactical approach.
