If the Ashes tour continues to go this badly, it’s hard to see how Joe Root will remain as captain: Michael Atherton

Former batter Michael Atherton said that Joe Root may find it hard to stay as England’s Test captain if the team continues to falter in the ongoing Ashes. The Three Lions are already 0-2 down in the five-match series, having faced hefty defeats in the Brisbane and Adelaide Tests. The visitors need to win at least two of the remaining three matches to have any chance of saving the series.

After the 275-run loss in the Day Night Test at the Adelaide Oval, Root became the English skipper with the most losses, 23, in Test cricket. He surpassed Alastair Cook’s tally of 22 defeats from 59 matches. Atherton reckoned that the Brits should try and find someone, who could take over from Root as the captain in the longest format.

Michael Atherton puts forth his opinions

“If the tour continues to go this badly, it is hard to see how Root will remain as captain. Ashes tours have often done for England captains and Root is nearer the end of his cycle than the beginning. There is not a rash of alternatives, but the notion that there is no one to take over is the worst rationale for keeping the job,” Atherton told The Times.

Atherton also came down hard on coach Chris Silverwood for not being able to make the right decisions in crunch moments.

“As the head coach and main selector, he has to shoulder along with Joe Root. There have been a rash of poor decisions so far – selection, mainly – for which he now has the final call. For the past 12 months, lots of selections have been suspect; the move to invest responsibility for selection with the head coach was always a bad one,” he stated.

Ahead of the third Test in Melbourne, starting December 26, Atherton also talked about England’s batting problems. “The batting needs urgent attention more generally, but given that no one else has played any cricket, I would give the same batsmen another chance,” Atherton added.

After Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed have flattered to deceive as an opener, legendary batter Geoffrey Boycott said that Dawid Malan should open the batting in whites. Malan is currently the leading run-scorer for England in the series.