Paul Farbrace feels making Root England's Test captain won't guarantee success

England Test captain Alastair Cook has come under the firing line for his team’s horrendous performance in the longest format of the game of late. After a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of India, there have been serious discussions going on regarding Cook’s future as a captain. England assistant coach Paul Farbrace felt that even if the captaincy was handed over to Joe Root it didn’t guarantee success.

Cook who won 4 important tosses in the recently concluded Test series against India failed to convert their advantageous position into a winning one. Following their humiliating series defeat, rumours are doing rounds that Cook would himself step down from the post and hand over the captaincy to future of English cricket, Joe Root.

Farbrace who has worked with Root before at Yorkshire believes that any talks surrounding Root’s suitability as the captain involve a “crystal-ball gazing”. “A lot has been made about Joe Root being ready and there have been comments made by Cookie and Trevor [Bayliss, England’s head coach] saying, ‘Rooty is ready to be the next captain. I don’t think that anybody who takes over as captain of England you can ever really know whether they’re ready to do the job or not. It’s a huge job — a job that everybody in England thinks they can do better”, stated Farbrace as quoted by the Cricket Country.

Farbrace also went on to add that Root who is currently the vice-captain of the Test team doesn’t have a great deal of captaincy experience. “Until he actually does the job, no one’s going to know. It’s crystal-ball gazing, isn’t it?” Farbrace said. Cook who has led England in 59 Tests will have a new year meeting with England and Wales Cricket Board Director Andrew Strauss.

“Everyone is behind him being the leader of this team,” he said.