
England in better shape after âÂÂcoming through chaosâ of a torrid summer, says Joe Root
Captain in upbeat mood after emphatic win at Edgbaston
âÂÂWeâÂÂre in a better place than we were, definitelyâÂÂ
Joe Root said England have âÂÂcome through the other side of the chaosâ after a tumultuous summer ended in a 3-0 series sweep of Pakistan.
Stephen Fleming, the new Test coach, is due to arrive in the country on Monday and has meetings scheduled with his captain, as well as the interim coach, Marcus Trescothick, as the team look to head into the winter in more settled style.
âÂÂItâÂÂs been a very unusual summer, thatâÂÂs probably a better way of putting it,â Root said, after England completed an eight-wicket win at Edgbaston. âÂÂThereâÂÂs been lots of different things happen.
âÂÂA [captain] resignation mid-series, thereâÂÂve been a few off-field incidents and weâÂÂve got a new coach. Whether you call it chaos, or unusual, or unsettling, I think all are fair but ultimately the thing I care about is what happens from that, and the way weâÂÂve responded has been excellent. That thereâÂÂs now clarity in what is expected of the group is quite evident, and we build on that now.
âÂÂWeâÂÂre in a better place than we were, definitely. Just having gone through that, you learn in chaos, you learn about the group of players that you have, and for us to have come through this series in the manner that we have done, the way weâÂÂve gone about things has been really pleasing. It will be a continuation of that now.
âÂÂIn terms of everything weâÂÂve been through over the last little while, for us to now have the clarity and come through the other side of chaos is really important. Once everything unfolded how it did, it was how we responded that was the most important thing and the group have done that brilliantly. WeâÂÂve put things on the right track.âÂÂ
This was a contest between two sides who are in a rebuilding phase after coaching changes. âÂÂItâÂÂs going to take a long time for us to keep working at that and living it day in, day out. The fact weâÂÂve been able to start that journey and win a series in the manner that we have done has been really pleasing,â Root said.
âÂÂWhen youâÂÂre trying to build a culture it doesnâÂÂt happen overnight and it doesnâÂÂt over the course of three or four weeks.âÂÂ
It was a message echoed by Mike Hesson, after his first game as PakistanâÂÂs Test coach. âÂÂI donâÂÂt think thereâÂÂs ever a quick fix to developing any team,â said Hesson, who confirmed that he had been contacted by England earlier this summer when they sought a replacement for Brendon McCullum, but said he had been unwilling to renege on his commitments to the Pakistan Cricket Board.
âÂÂThereâÂÂs a lot of fans out there who were searching for things to hang on to, and I think our job is to provide hope and [evidence] that the teamâÂÂs heading in the right direction. WeâÂÂve lost the match pretty convincingly in the end but I think the one thing Pakistani fans want is to see fight and that the side doesnâÂÂt give up. And I can assure you in the dressing room the last couple of days thereâÂÂs been a little bit of confidence gained in terms of where we go from here.âÂÂ
