Follow UsFormer England skipper Joe Root said the England captaincy was starting to take “the life out” of him and was also having a negative impact on his family. Root was made captain in February 2017 and went on to lead England in 64 Tests.
England won 27 Tests under him, but also lost 26, which is the most for an England captain. The decision to resign from captaincy came after the 1-0 series defeat in West Indies and that’s when Ben Stokes took over the command.
Speaking on the Vaughany and Tuffers Cricket Club podcast, Root said: "The last couple of years, it took the life of me, really. And it did take its toll. It was the right decision for the group, first and foremost, but also for me personally, I wasn't myself.
"I was coming home from series and I wasn't able to switch off or wasn't able to be present with my family. And I could see myself as a shadow of the person that I want to be. I think sometimes you've got to be big enough to understand that it's time to move on and time for someone else to take that great honour on.
“It was when I got home from the West Indies tour. I think it had been coming for a long time. I just didn't want to believe it. And I think when you talk about not being present and it getting to a point where I started to notice it and I could see the effect it was having on not just kids, but Carrie my wife as well around me, it just wasn't fair on those guys.”
Under him, England won only one of their last 17 Tests. Root was eager to turn England's dismal record around but now feels he made the right decision considering how dominating England have been under Stokes.
"Out there (West Indies), I was desperate to turn things around. To come back to England, have a fresh look at things, but I'm so glad that we went about things the way we did. And I spoke to Ben personally, as my vice-captain and probably closest friend within the group first, and quite a while before anyone else. And then it was quite a relief once I'd spoken to family and got that off my chest.”
He might have struggled with captaincy but his form with the bat has been phenomenal. The right-handed batter has smashed 2658 runs in 26 Tests at an average of 57.78 since 2021. In this period, he has 11 centuries and five fifties to his name.
“That was my quiet time, if you like. It's only you, you don't have to think about anything other than watching the ball. And the longer I stayed out there, the more peaceful it was. And the less stuff that I had on my mind and the more in control of things you are as well.”