In Stats: Joe Root’s career as an England Test Captain

The recent 4-0 setback by England in the Ashes 2021-22 has sparked pressure for Joe Root to quit as England captain.

Joe Root has stepped down as England’s Test captain, the country’s cricket board said on Friday, falling in to pressure from prominent figures in the game after a string of poor results, topped by crippling tours to Australia and the Caribbean.

“After returning from the Caribbean tour and having time to reflect, I have decided to step down as England men’s Test captain,” Root said in a statement released by the board.

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After Alastair Cook decided to step down as England’s permanent Test captain in 2017, Root was declared as the captain and became the country’s most successful skipper with 27 triumphs.

Root lead the team as captain for 64 matches and has won more games(27) as captain than any of his countrymen but has also lost more games(26) and has yet to lead England to victory in an Ashes series.

Root led England to their first Test series victory in Sri Lanka since 2001 in 2018, and they followed it up with a 2-0 sweep in 2021.

England has won eight of 19 bilateral Test series under Joe Root’s leadership and has lost nine. England has only lost two Test series at home, while winning five others.

Root has 14 hundreds as captain and is England’s second best Test run scorer only behind Cook. His total of 5,295 runs as skipper is the most of any Englishman and ranks seventh all-time.