Joe Root’s return as Test captain highlights English cricket’s missing generation

Amid recent reflection on the so-called "summer of four captains" of 1988, the witticism around English cricket has been that at least, then, they had four options from which to choose. As Rob Key worked through the process of appointing a new Test head coach, he spoke to each of the candidates about who they would want as captain were they to get the job. It would be a surprise if more than two names were realistically mentioned; a binary choice, it seems, between Harry Brook and Joe Root led to Key and Stephen Fleming agreeing that it was "too soon" for the former's elevation.

Welcome back, then, to a skipper who has won one of his last 18 Tests in charge; an individual so worn down by the role last time that he described developing an "unhealthy relationship" with the captaincy. Say it ain't Joe? It is to Root's credit that, when asked to wear the blazer again, there was no hesitation in accepting – but it is hard to shake a sense that an offer to a 35-year-old who had already led his country in a record 65 matches would not, in an ideal world, have been forthcoming.

Key, as is custom, saw the positives. "He is our best ever batter, and now has the chance to captain the side without any of the stuff he had to deal with last time," England's managing director of men's cricket said of Root, with reference to the dark, Covid-confused days at the end of his first tenure. "I'm just so glad he gets that chance." A second innings as Test skipper is a rarity; England must hope Root is more Mike Brearley than David Gower.

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That he had to be reappointed (and it is probably fair to describe it in those terms) suggests a dereliction of duty in succession planning. Key made passing reference to the sudden but perhaps not entirely surprising retirement of Ben Stokes as he sought to explain his decision-making, suggesting that the need for a new Test skipper had perhaps come sooner than he and the rest of the ECB hierarchy had planned.

There are threads to be pulled at within that, though. The first, of course, concerns Brook, regarded widely – and as opposed to common misconception – as a natural leader and intuitive cricketing thinker, and clearly groomed as the Test captain of the future. And yet to hear Key suggest that it was "too soon" for a man installed as Stokes' deputy ahead of the Ashes, and one that has led England in white-ball cricket for more than a year, rather jarred. Clearly, the busy schedule played a part – it is surely impossible to straddle all three formats as skipper – but at a time where a new identity must be forged, there is a sense that an opportunity to set that more directly has been missed.

Alternately, one might ponder where the rest of England's captaincy candidates are – or even where they are coming from. There is a striking lack of seniority within the current set-up, as highlighted by the callow unit that took the field at the Oval when Stokes was stood down during the New Zealand series. Even accounting for Ben Duckett, a three-format cricketer who England have not appeared keen to promote into any kind of leadership capacity, there would seem no-one with both clout and comfort within the environment. Were Root and Brook, his presumed deputy, to each go down on the eve of a Test, it might have to be Jacob Bethell to step in.

"It needs to be worked on, but it is very hard to put you on a course to become England captain," Key conceded. "It is unfortunate, I think, with Ollie Pope and Zak Crawley – Ollie had been vice-captain and Zak a senior player." England were desperate for one or t'other to really seize their spot; that neither could, despite tremendous patience, has exacerbated matters. "The shame is that their form got in the way of them being able to stay in the side. Then that void wouldn't have been there as much. We would have had two outstanding leaders." Others may look at recent County Championship-winning skippers in Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed, who have each flourished as leaders after their time with England had come and gone.

"I think [Crawley and Pope] can both come again," it was stressed. "But clearly there is a gap between Harry Brook and the people younger than him like Jacob Bethell, who we are trying to bring in. All of this happened a little bit too soon, probably." Out of that summer of 1988 came the fast-tracking of three future England captains – perhaps Brook, Jacob Bethell and Jamie Smith, all skippers at U19 level, may yet emerge as the Michael Atherton, Nasser Hussain and Alec Stewart of the modern-day.

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But England have felt caught between a generation on the wane and one yet to fully emerge. Within white-ball cricket, with the many opportunities that the franchise system provides, there is a growing group of English players in their prime developing captaincy experience, but those same chances in red-ball cricket are limited – in part because of the lure of overseas leagues. Of the 18 first-class county captains, only really Ollie Robinson could currently be termed a realistic England Test inclusion – and an elevation to the national captaincy will not be forthcoming for a variety of reasons.

There was a sense of wistfulness over the senior heads lost, for a variety of reasons, in the last few years: Jonny Bairstow, James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes, Moeen Ali, now Stokes. It was revitalising that group that proved the great success of the early McCullum era; now the challenge is altogether different.

"I feel like we've lost a whole generation of cricketer, and we've only got Joe Root left," Key said, without direct reference to anyone in particular. "Four years ago, I felt we needed to change the mentality of English cricket. Ben and Brendon did that brilliantly. In Stephen and Joe, I think we've got the two best people to take a side with a huge amount of potential who need refinement."

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