‘My advice to captain Pope? Choose a style and stick to it’

“I think that ship has sailed,” says Joe Root, a smile breaking out on his still youthful features. “That would be a backward step, to be honest.” And with that, he shuts down a query about whether he had any interest in resuming the England captaincy again in the absence of Ben Stokes.
It was a reaction to my cheeky question borne out of a memory of when I came back to captain England in Nasser Hussain’s absence for two matches against Australia in 2001, when no-one else wanted to do it. It didn’t go well. When you’ve had a proper go, as Root has done, it’s best not to retrace those steps.
Instead the captaincy for the three-Test Sri Lanka series will fall to Ollie Pope, who, at 26, finds himself as Root once did, contemplating a very different aspect to the game than mere batting. Root had only ever captained in a handful of first-class matches before assuming the England captaincy (at the same age Pope is now) and Pope is the same, having captained Surrey only once in the County Championship.
What qualities does Root see in Pope, and what advice would he offer? “It’s different when you are just standing in for a few games than if you know it’s yours for a period of time,” Root says. “The one thing I would say to myself if I had that time again would be to be clear on the style of cricket, first and foremost, and then find the players to fit that, and not to alter and change.
“That style is already in place because of Ben and that marries up nicely to the way he [Pope] looks at the game. His cricket intelligence is high so I don’t think he’ll struggle. He’s got experience around him if he needs it and he’s got a group of players who have bought into a way of playing, which is half the battle.”
Pope often looks skittish and nervy at the crease, lacking authority at times at the start of an innings, but Root says this does not reflect his character or approach to the game. “He’s a very chilled and relaxed character, which you see when you bat with him in the middle, so I see that carrying over as well,” he says. “If it is Ollie that takes the reins [we spoke the day before confirmation] I think he will take to it brilliantly.”
Rather than worry about leadership any longer, Root is now enjoying the freedom that post-captaincy days offer, evidenced by the way he has batted under Stokes and in his willingness to explore new avenues in short-form cricket. Since stepping down in 2022 he has played for Dubai Capitals in the ILT20, Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League, and has signed to play for Paarl Royals in the SA20 in the New Year.
Like Jimmy Anderson, who intimated this week that he might yet explore some franchise avenues, Root loves playing any format and after a decent stint for Yorkshire in the championship at the start of the year, he has played five matches for Trent Rockets in the Hundred. It’s easy to be cynical, but for the likes of Root and Anderson, who have played for so long, money is no longer a prime consideration. A love of playing is at the heart of their success and longevity.
“When you lose that love, it’s a telling sign isn’t it? At the minute, it’s very much there,” Root, 33, says. “I’ve had more of a chance to dip my toe in the T20 environment and I’ve really enjoyed it. I think you get a bit more energy and it keeps your mind fresh for when you turn your sights back to Test cricket and the red-ball game.”
It has been an underwhelming men’s tournament in the Hundred this year, but Root’s enthusiasm and backing for the competition remain undimmed. “I wouldn’t necessarily say underwhelming, but the balls have seemed to do a lot more which has made batting tricky, especially when the teams are top-loaded, and that has made it harder to get the kind of scores you want to see, but that’s not a reflection of the tournament,” Root says.
“It’s engaging a new audience. The amount of people who I have met in the last four years who have got into cricket on the back of this — I didn’t think it would have the impact it has. It’s serving a really good purpose. Where it is at now, and with the opportunities that are likely to come, it’s got a really good chance of improving English cricket long term, with what is around the corner and what’s happening at the end of the season.”
What is “happening” is a proposed injection of capital of which Root, like most players, is in favour. There is obvious self-interest at stake here, with potentially higher wages on offer, something that is impossible to deny. “Naturally, everyone would be lying if they said that wasn’t the case but I don’t think that’s where it [outside investment] can make the biggest impact,” he says. “What it can do for the game of cricket in this country as a whole is the most exciting thing.
“I look at where we are domestically, and gauge it against countries like India, for example, and that investment might have a huge impact — not just in short-form cricket but red-ball cricket as well.
“With the structure we have now there is a clear ceiling to where the game can go and the investment that can go into county cricket. With private investment we will have exposure to better players and better facilities; with extra money you’d like to think it would impact things drastically and keep our game more sustainable.”
Whether this hope that private investment will help sustain the whole game is a naive one remains to be seen. The nature of any potential windfall, and its effects, remain uncertain, but there will be a return to the familiarities of Test cricket next week, albeit to the more refined version of Bazball witnessed against West Indies. Did that more mature approach evolve naturally, or was it to order?
“It’s a natural evolution,” Root says. “We still scored at between four and five runs an over for the whole series, but with an element of control and ruthlessness.
“There will still be occasions when we can put the hammer down and put teams under real pressure but, as we want to keep getting better, there’s a natural evolution to things. The most powerful way of that happening is by the players realising it and understanding it themselves. That’s when it really hits home.”
One imagines Graham Thorpe would have approved. Root had a very close relationship with Thorpe, who was his mentor and coach when he first got into the England team.
“He was a hero of mine as a player,” Root says of Thorpe, who died aged 55 on August 5. “He could sing you a ballad or rock your socks off at the crease. He could do it all: he could play spin well; play fast bowling; bat for hours; see it through or entertain, and he took all that knowledge into his coaching.
“I owe him so much. He gave me the opportunity to play for the Lions before I’d even made a first-class hundred. He saw something in me. I know he pushed Andy Flower so hard to get me on that Test tour to India [in 2012-13].
“He worked tirelessly with me after that for the next ten to twelve years. He became a mentor and a very close friend, whether talking about cricket in and around practice, or having a beer just talking about life, listening to music.
“He gave everything to England as a player, but if you also look at his record as a coach it was outstanding. He brought through myself, Jos [Buttler], Ben [Stokes], James Vince, Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow. So many players that went on to do amazing things.
“That’s all part of his legacy. Everyone he came into contact with, he brought a smile to their faces. He brought energy to the room and touched people in a very good way. We’ve lost a great player and person.”