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England Cricket Board (ECB) on June 10 announced the squad for second Test against New Zealand. The notable omissions were skipper Ben Stokes and pacer Gus Atkinson who are currently under investigation for the nightclub incident following first Test. While Harry Brook is the Test vice-captain and already leading the side in white-ball formats, the selection committee chose to go back to Joe Root as the interim captain for the Oval Test. While Stokes has had his share of controversies, Brook was involved in a nightclub incident of his own where he had an altercation with a bouncer on New Zealand tour. However, England’s Director of Cricket, Rob Key, said that it did not feel like the right time which led to them relying on Root.
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"I just don't feel that it is the right time," Key told the BBC. "That's the decision we came to. The Test captaincy is a massive job, even on an interim basis, especially going into this next Test match and everything Harry would have to deal with - plus the fact Harry, at the moment, is getting his head around white-ball cricket as well as being one of the best Test batters in the world.
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"It just didn't feel like that was the right time, for a number of different reasons. English cricket is incredibly fortunate to have Joe Root. English cricket has relied on him, not just as a batter.
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"Every time you're 10 for 2, Joe Root is the man that gets England out of a hole and he's doing that again for us. Yet again, Joe Root doesn't question anything when you ask him to do something."
Key insisted that Brook’s disciplinary record wasn’t behind him not being named the interim Test captain.
"I think that would be one of them, yeah," Key said. "That's not the main reason, that's for sure. [They are] the enormity of that job, what's best for Harry, and what's best for this team going forward."
How Brook reacted to not getting Test captaincy?
Key also revealed that Brook was ‘absolutely fine’ on not getting the Test captaincy. The former England went on to say that being Root’s deputy will help Brook evolve as a leader.
"We've spoken to Brook. He was absolutely fine," Key said. "All he wants to do is play cricket for England and do the best he possibly can. He doesn't really care about much else, and he'll do whatever is best for the team and he has no issue whatsoever with not being captain.
"He'll still be Joe's vice-captain. That partnership as batters, on and off the field, has been brilliant, and Joe has been a massive help to Harry at moving his game forward. I'd imagine he'll help him in this role as well - and vice versa."
Brook dethrones Root
Nearly a week ahead of the first Test, Brook reclaimed the no.1 spot in ICC Test batter rankings. He scored a fifty in the first innings of the Lord’s Test. He dethroned teammate Root who registered single-digit scores in the Test
series opener.
Root’s Test captaincy record
Root’s record as Test captain Root captained England from 2017 to 2022. From 64 Tests under his leadership, England won 27, lost 26 whereas 11 ended in a draw.
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