England great Geoffrey Boycott has called on embattled captain Joe Root to consider stepping down in the wake of a horror Ashes tour.
The tourists find themselves 0-3 down with two matches to play, and facing the very real possibility of a whitewash loss to the old enemy Down Under.
The first two losses were bad, but the third was a catastrophe as England were rolled for 68 in the second dig to lose by an innings and 14 runs at the MCG, with little more than two days completed.
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Root looked distraught and exhausted when speaking post-game, and it was telling no one else from the England camp was seen or heard from.
The skipper has faced the bulk of criticism throughout the three-match loss, even about selections – namely the decision to leave James Anderson and Stuart Broad out of various matches.
Boycott wants Root to step aside and hand the reins to someone else.
“Joe’s captaincy lacks imagination. His team selection and decision making has been staggeringly off the mark,” Boycott wrote in The Telegraph.
“It’s every cricketer’s dream to captain England and Joe has had 59 Test matches to mould and stamp his authority on this set of players.
“He has had 13 Tests against Australia with only two wins and nine losses. Nobody would want to give up the captaincy, but it is not about Joe – it is about getting guys to perform better.
“At the end of this series the question should be asked: would England benefit from a change of captain?
“That’s not me trying to be hurtful to Joe or just being controversial. We all love Joe. It is impossible not to like him, but before the squad left the UK Joe said players and captains are defined by Ashes series, particularly in Australia.
“So far this series we have been dreadful and if Joe believes what he has been saying then it is time for someone else to be given the opportunity to try and galvanise the players.
“Captains accept the accolades when their team wins so they have to accept some blame or criticism when they lose. And let’s be honest – we haven’t just lost, we have been smashed.”
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