Senior England batter Joe Root has thrown his weight behind head coach Brendon McCullum, describing him as “one of the best coaches” he has worked with, even as questions linger over England’s direction following their heavy Ashes defeat.
Root’s backing comes in the wake of similar support from Ben Stokes and Harry Brook after England’s disappointing Ashes campaign in Australia. Despite the setback, Root insisted McCullum’s impact on the team and his own game, has been overwhelmingly positive.
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“I think Baz is one of the best coaches I’ve ever worked with,” Root said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo. “Obviously, we’re disappointed with how things went in Australia, but there are still a lot of exciting things ahead for this group. If I look at my own game since he’s been coach, it’s improved tenfold.”
The former England captain also voiced strong support for Harry Brook, backing the young batter to grow into his leadership role after serving as deputy skipper during the Ashes.
“Harry’s a great lad and he’s going to be an incredible captain,” Root said. “He feels bad about what happened, but from my side, he’s doing his job exceptionally well. He’s owned up, taken responsibility, and is desperate to move this team forward. I’m fully behind him and want to see him learn and grow from this.”
Root and Brook underlined that faith with the bat in England’s five-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the second ODI in Colombo. On a challenging turning surface, Root struck a composed 75 off 90 balls, while Brook chipped in with a fluent 42 off 75, guiding England through a tricky chase with smart strike rotation.
The ODI series is now finely poised, with the third and final match set to decide the contest on January 27.
