Michael Vaughan gives advice to England captain Joe Root amid calls to resign

Michael Vaughan says he would tell Joe Root to step down as England Test captain if he asked for his advice.

Following their series defeat to West Indies, England have won just one of their last 17 Tests under Root.

Root is facing calls to resign with his England team winless in nine games and losing their last four series, including a 4-0 Ashes defeat in Australia.

Speaking after England’s 10-wicket loss to West Indies in Grenada, Root insisted he wanted to continue as captain, but Vaughan believes it is time for his fellow Yorkshireman to step aside.

‘He’s taken it as far as he possibly can,’ former England captain Vaughan told BBC Radio 5 Live.

‘Will England be any worse off not having him as a captain? I don’t think they would, because they are going to get his runs and a senior player.

‘They’ll get a great role model – I don’t think there is a better role model in English cricket.’

England are currently without a director of cricket and head coach after Ashley Giles and Chris Silverwood’s departures following the Ashes defeat, with Sir Andrew Strauss and Paul Collingwood taking up interim roles for the Caribbean tour.

Both appointments are expected to be made before England’s next Test series against New Zealand in June and Vaughan added: ‘I wouldn’t want the new director of cricket or head coach to sack Root – he’s deserved the right to go on his own ground.

‘During his reign I don’t think he has been helped at all. His first Ashes series there was the Ben Stokes incident, then we had the white-ball reset, then he’s had Covid and it’s been very difficult.

‘But, I always think captains should pride themselves on maximising every ounce of potential in the changing room. I just look at the team and ask why did they perform so under their potential? That would be a real concern for me.

‘Tactically he has been poor. It has been a common trend under Joe – he hasn’t managed to grab a game. If he does carry on he’ll really need someone who can drive the tactical side of the game with him.’

Root has both won and lost more games than any other England captain, having led the team in a record 67 Tests since his appointment in 2017.

Working in Root’s favour as he attempts to retain the captaincy is the lack of alternative candidates, with Ben Stokes seen as the frontrunner to take over if his friend is axed.

England fast bowler Stuart Broad has also been named as a possible contender but he was dropped for the West Indies Test series along with record wicket-taker James Anderson.

Vaughan said: ‘I don’t see any replacement to Root doing the role long term. Whoever gets it now potentially could just do it for a few months or until the end of the Ashes next year.

‘I don’t think Broad is the most stupid suggestion – you’ve got to be sensible about every name at the moment because we don’t have massive riches.

‘It is the first time in my lifetime where we’ve not had a future England captain playing and that is a real concern.’

Meanwhile, ex-England assistant coach Paul Farbrace also believes it is ‘probably time’ for Root to step aside.

‘He is still England’s best player but we’ve got a stage where we probably need to say “come on, we need someone else”. When he gets home he may think very differently about this,’ he said.

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