Joe Root Needs Results to Keep England Armband 

Undoubtedly one of the best players in the squad, Joe Root remains a talismanic figure for the England Test side. However, after what was a disappointing 4-0 Ashes series defeat to arch-rivals Australia over the winter, Root faces a battle to keep the England armband. 

Root Grateful to Keep Skipper Role 

It was hard watching for England supporters Down Under, as the Three Lions' batting order struggled against a ruthless Australian bowling attack. England, who are 12/5 in the cricket betting odds to win back the Ashes on home soil in 2023, headed home to the UK licking their wounds after a comprehensive defeat. Few cricket tips will have given the Three Lions a chance of causing an upset down in Australia but it was the manner of those defeats that will have been a cause for concern. 

Heads did roll after the Ashes, with director of cricket Ashley Giles and England's head coach Chris Silverwood both moving on. The Three Lions hierarchy decided to remain with Root as captain going into their following series against the West Indies. Root admitted he was grateful to keep hold of the armband but was adamant he was still the right man for the job. Root headed out to the Caribbean with a somewhat new-look England side that was missing some familiar faces. 

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Veteran pacemen James Anderson and Stuart Broad were two high-profile omissions from the squad. The tour gives others a chance to impress, while Root has reiterated the views of the management that Anderson and Broad still have a potential Test future ahead of the home summer series with New Zealand. 

Root is The Right Man For The Job 

While some suggested Root's time as the captain had reached a conclusion, the Yorkshireman still had plenty of backers to keep the armband. There has been no indication that the captaincy has affected Root's performances, with the 31-year-old being the standout batsman for the Three Lions in the last Ashes series. Root was England's top run-scorer with 322 and only Australia's Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne scored more. Of all the top six run-scorers during the series, Root was in fact the only English representative. 

England's defeat to the Baggy Greens was not down to Root's captaincy but a failure among his fellow batsmen to put up big totals in the pressure of an Ashes series. Only fellow Yorkshireman Jonny Bairstow came away with any real credit, as he managed to score England's only century during the five Tests and finished with an average of 48.50 in his two matches. 

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There is no doubt England are in a process of rebuilding after what was an Ashes series to forget. If the Three Lions are to win back the urn next year then Root still looks to be the man to lead them to success on home soil and it's others who must step up to the challenge.