English cricket has much bigger problems to address than Joe Root’s captaincy | Mark Ramprakash

England’s sorry Ashes series means scapegoats will be sought and while Root has made mistakes he gets plenty of things right

Three matches and three heavy defeats into the series, the Ashes already lost, seven defeats and no wins in eight Tests in Australia as captain, and after a poor year for England’s red-ball team there are several obvious reasons for removing Joe Root from the England captaincy – but I would like him to stick around.

In his book The Captain Class, the Wall Street Journal’s Sam Walker identifies the key characteristics of elite captains which include: extreme doggedness and focus in competition; a low-key, practical and democratic communication style; motivating others with passionate non-verbal displays; strong convictions and the courage to stand apart; and ironclad emotional control. England’s failures will bring criticism, but Root has many of the qualities you would look for in an ideal captain.