Birmingham:ReturningcaptainJoeRootbelievesEnglandhavesuccessfullysteadiedtheshipfollowingaturbulentsummer,cappingoffacompleteturnaroundwitha3-0TestseriessweepoverPakistan.
TakingbackthecaptaincyinJuneafterBenStokes’suddeninternationalretirement,Root-alongsideinterimheadcoachMarcusTrescothick-guidedEnglandtothreedecisivevictoriesatHeadingley,Lord’s,andEdgbaston.TheclinicalperformancesofferstabilityjustasincomingheadcoachStephenFlemingpreparestotakeoverred-balldutiesfromBrendonMcCullum.
Reflectingontheteam’srecoveryafterscoringanunbeaten62inSaturday’seight-wicketvictory,Rootacknowledgedtheoff-fielddisruptionthatprecededtheseries.
“There’sbeenalotofchaosaroundthisseriesbeforeaballwasbowled,”theskippersaidafterhittinganunbeaten62inSaturday’seight-wicketwinatEdgbaston.
“Ithinkthewaywe’vehandleditonandoffthefield,thewayeveryoneunderstandswhatisexpectedofthem,bothasaplayerandhowwewanttocarryourselves,isareallygoodthing.
“It’sbeenaveryunusualsummer,hasn’tit?There’sbeenalotofdifferentthingshappen.Wehadaresignationmid-series,therehasbeenafewoff-fieldincidentsandwe’vegotanewcoach.
“Whetheryoucallitchaos,whetheryoucallitunusual,whetheryoucallitunsettling,allofthosearefair.
“Butultimately,thethingthatIcareaboutandthemostimportantthingiswhathappensfromthat.Ithinkthewaythatwe’verespondedtothathasbeenexcellent.”
ThesummerhadthreatenedtoderailafterStokesannouncedhisdeparturemid-waythrougha2-1serieslosstoNewZealand-aseriesmarkedbydisciplinaryactionsinvolvinganightclubvisitwithGusAtkinson.ThefalloutledtoMcCullumlosinghisred-ballmandate.ScrutinymountedfurtheraheadofthesecondTestagainstPakistanwhenbowlerBrydonCarsewasremovedfromthesquadfollowinganincidentoutsideanightclub.
Addressingthebroaderpushtorestorestandardswithinthesquad,Rootemphasisedthatrebuildingtrustandteamdisciplineremainsanongoingeffort.
“Whenyou’retryingtobuildacultureitdoesn’thappenovernightanditdoesn’thappenoverthecourseofthreeorfourweeks,”saidtheYorkshireman.
“It’sgoingtotaketimetokeepworkingatthat,livingitdayinanddayout,andthat’ssomethingwe’llcontinuetokeepworkingat.We’vemadesomereallygoodstridesintherightdirection.”