Joe Root opens up on “very unhealthy relationship” with England Test captaincy

Joe Root resigned as England captain back in April after five years in the role, with the side winning just one of his last 17 Test matches in charge

Joe Root has admitted his time as England Test captain became a “very unhealthy relationship” before his resignation and that it had begun to “take a bad toll on my own personal health”.

No player has captained England in more Tests than Root, but his time in charge became very difficult towards the end as his side managed just one win in 17 matches. After a bruising 1-0 series defeat against the West Indies that followed a humiliating 4-0 Ashes loss, Root quit as skipper and was replaced by close friend Ben Stokes.

And in his first Test without the burden of captaincy, Root scored a stunning hundred to guide England to victory against World Test Champions New Zealand at Lord’s. Root was very emotional after the win and gave a very honest assessment of his time as skipper.

“It had become a very unhealthy relationship to be honest, the captaincy and me,” he revealed. “It started to really take a bad toll on my own personal health.

“I couldn’t leave it at the ground anymore, it was coming home. It wasn’t fair on my family, on people close to me and it wasn’t fair on myself either.

“I had thrown everything at it and I was determined to help turn this team around but I realised over that time at home that it would have to be in a different way.

“I’m very excited to do that now and to do everything I can to help Ben really turn this team around and make this team the force it should and can be.

“I’m proud of the way I did the role. I’ll do anything I can to help England win Test matches and be a side people enjoy watching and can be proud of.

“It got to the stage where it was time for someone else to lead that but I can try and influence it in a different role, in a different way. I threw absolutely everything at the role and I’m proud of the way that I tried to do that.”