The consensus is that England’s new Test leader has all the right qualities to make a success of it but it is important that he remains his own man
There is a broad consensus that Joe Root will be a good captain but there are no guarantees. There can be surprises – in both directions.
Take Nasser Hussain. When Mike Atherton resigned in 1998 Hussain was a candidate to take over but the majority reckoned he was too (delete as appropriate) grumpy/hot-headed/introspective/selfish/unpopular for the job. Instead Alec Stewart was appointed for 15 months before Hussain was finally given the reins in 1999. Whereupon it soon became clear that Hussain was a sharp, intelligent captain on and off the field – though he could still be rather grumpy now and again. After his first overseas tour as captain, a potentially volatile one to Pakistan, he was even praised for his diplomacy as well as his tactical nous.
Related: Joe Root vows to drive England on after being named captain
Related: Joe Root was not always earmarked for England captaincy but rarely shirks a test | The Spin
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