Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Matthew Cooper

Former England coach makes Stuart Broad captaincy claim as pressure mounts on Joe Root

Former England head coach Peter Moores has backed "good tactician" Stuart Broad to "get stuck in and do a good job" as Test captain if he is asked to replace current skipper Joe Root.

Root has come under fire in recent weeks following his side's series defeat to the West Indies. The comprehensive ten wicket defeat in Grenada means England have won just one of their last 17 Test matches and failed to win any of their last five series for their first time ever in their history.

As a result, former England skippers Michael Vaughan, Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton have all urged Root to relinquish the captaincy. However, there is a real lack of potential replacements for Root.

Vice-captain Ben Stokes has been touted as the most likely successor, but he has previously expressed reluctance about taking the job. Speaking back in January, Stokes said: "I've never really had an ambition to be a captain."

Along with Stokes, Broad has also been mentioned as a potential replacement for Root, given his vast experience and previous stint as England's T20 skipper between 2011 and 2014. And Moores, who twice coached England and now coaches Broad at Nottinghamshire, believes he would be a good appointment.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Moores said: "If Stuart got given a job like that on a short term basis he wouldn't let anyone down. He's a good tactician, he's captained the Twenty20 side before and he knows the game inside out and back to front.

"He's a passionate Englishman who loves playing so if he ever got that role I think he'd get stuck in and do a good job. It's come a bit out of the blue and I think he'll do what he always does and make sure he's ready so if he gets the nod to play or do anything for England he'll be ready to go."

Despite calls for him to quit as captain, Root remains keen to continue in the role. Speaking to BT Sport following the defeat in Grenada, he said: "I think I've made it quite clear at the start of this game and throughout this tour, I'm very passionate about trying to take this team forward. I will control what I can.

"I don't think it is ever in your hands completely. I feel like the group are very much behind me, we're doing a lot of really good things and we just need to turn that into results now."

Can you help underprivileged children experience the joy of cricket? Charity Bat for a Chance donates cricket kit to those most in need and is also fundraising. Find out more here

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.