Joe Root is getting a very easy ride for his appalling declaration imo

People are banging on about it being 'good for the game' and 'great for West Indies cricket'.

Both those things may be true - indeed I have sympathy for those views. However, it is not Joe Root's job to do what's 'good for the game' and it certainly isn't his job to help out West Indian cricket. His job is to win test matches and test series for England. Failing that, his job is not to lose those matches and series. He declared when England had the chance to bat WI out of the game completely and make them bat on the last day with no chance of winning (always harder than when you have an achievable target). His decision to declare when we were 1-0 up in a three-match series was unnecessarily reckless and demonstrably misjudged, since WI achieved the target.

Root fúcked up badly in his job as England cricket captain. And, while I may be personally glad the West Indies won the game, that doesn't alter my fear that Root's decision suggests flawed judgement on his part. My guess is that he was just trying to impose his character on the captaincy after Cook's risk-averse period in charge, but that - while understandable on a personal level - is no excuse.

Hopefully he'll learn from it. But if he pulls a move that stupid in the Ashes, he will get crucified for it - and rightly so.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Burney

People are banging on about it being 'good for the game' and 'great for West Indies cricket'.

Both those things may be true - indeed I have sympathy for those views. However, it is not Joe Root's job to do what's 'good for the game' and it certainly isn't his job to help out West Indian cricket. His job is to win test matches and test series for England. Failing that, his job is not to lose those matches and series. He declared when England had the chance to bat WI out of the game completely and make them bat on the last day with no chance of winning (always harder than when you have an achievable target). His decision to declare when we were 1-0 up in a three-match series was unnecessarily reckless and demonstrably misjudged, since WI achieved the target.

Root fúcked up badly in his job as England cricket captain. And, while I may be personally glad the West Indies won the game, that doesn't alter my fear that Root's decision suggests flawed judgement on his part. My guess is that he was just trying to impose his character on the captaincy after Cook's risk-averse period in charge, but that - while understandable on a personal level - is no excuse.

Hopefully he'll learn from it. But if he pulls a move that stupid in the Ashes, he will get crucified for it - and rightly so.

---

:shrug: You can't have it both ways, I'm afraid; I'm sure Joe Roots [sic] reads the papers.

I agree though; giving that team a full day to chase down a glorified one-day target was simply asking for it. After all, it's test cricket they've been struggling with.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Burney

My guess is that he was just trying to impose his character on the captaincy after Cook's risk-averse period in charge, but that - while understandable on a personal level - is no excuse.

---

Cook did his best to lose the game yesterday tbf.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ash

Cook did his best to lose the game yesterday tbf.

---

He did, didn't he?

I must say, while I'm glad it didn't happen, surely the laws dictate that the game should have been abandoned for bad light, since artificial light was dominant at the end of the game? I find it a bit odd that match officials are simply allowed to ignore the laws if it suits them like that.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ash

Cook did his best to lose the game yesterday tbf.

---

:nod: Even on the radio, you could tell the players hearts weren't really in it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Burney

He did, didn't he?

I must say, while I'm glad it didn't happen, surely the laws dictate that the game should have been abandoned for bad light, since artificial light was dominant at the end of the game? I find it a bit odd that match officials are simply allowed to ignore the laws if it suits them like that.

---

See what I mean? Good for the game, my backfoot.

Let's be fair...did anyone really expect the Windies to runs or even get within 100 of the score?

maybe perhaps he should've declared sooner so he could've more of a crack at them on the 4th day...like a good 6 or 7 overs of Broad steaming in.

But that's me thinking about the win..safety first would've been taking it to the morning.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Burney

People are banging on about it being 'good for the game' and 'great for West Indies cricket'.

Both those things may be true - indeed I have sympathy for those views. However, it is not Joe Root's job to do what's 'good for the game' and it certainly isn't his job to help out West Indian cricket. His job is to win test matches and test series for England. Failing that, his job is not to lose those matches and series. He declared when England had the chance to bat WI out of the game completely and make them bat on the last day with no chance of winning (always harder than when you have an achievable target). His decision to declare when we were 1-0 up in a three-match series was unnecessarily reckless and demonstrably misjudged, since WI achieved the target.

Root fúcked up badly in his job as England cricket captain. And, while I may be personally glad the West Indies won the game, that doesn't alter my fear that Root's decision suggests flawed judgement on his part. My guess is that he was just trying to impose his character on the captaincy after Cook's risk-averse period in charge, but that - while understandable on a personal level - is no excuse.

Hopefully he'll learn from it. But if he pulls a move that stupid in the Ashes, he will get crucified for it - and rightly so.

---

Your hero was defending him against this very criticism but, when pushed, agreed you would never do it in the Ashes.

I am with you here. It was reckless and with the side's current troubles it was something they didnt need.

Poor decision. Great fun though

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tony C

Let's be fair...did anyone really expect the Windies to runs or even get within 100 of the score?

maybe perhaps he should've declared sooner so he could've more of a crack at them on the 4th day...like a good 6 or 7 overs of Broad steaming in.

But that's me thinking about the win..safety first would've been taking it to the morning.

---

Yes, actually. I bloody well did! They have some decent players in there, who simply had a bad few days in the first match and it's not as though England are world beaters at the moment, is it. Windies had to take about thirty wickets and still won :fuming: