2017 ICC Champions Trophy: Let Joe Root Be Our Sachin Tendulkar – Graeme Swann

Nov 2, 2023 at 3:42 PM

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2017 ICC Champions Trophy: Let Joe Root Be Our Sachin Tendulkar – Graeme Swann

Former England off-spinner Graeme Swann reiterated that current Test skipper Joe Root should be left alone by the management to play his natural game and for what he is best known for while adding he could be three Lions legendary batsman like Sachin Tendulkar if he would not crumble under too much of the pressure while referring to captaincy.

“I’d love to just leave him [Joe Root] alone, don’t burden him with captaincy. Let him be our Sachin Tendulkar, let him be the best that we’ve ever had,” Swann told Wisden India.

The 38-year-old Swann has insisted and backed his view while being against the decision which saw Joe Root being nominated as the Test skipper after Alastair Cook relinquished from the post of the captaincy after drawing flak when they lost Test series in India.

“I hope so. I don’t actually agree with Joe being made captain because I think he is potentially our best ever batsman. I think the pressures of captaincy are all encompassing,” Swann maintained.

Interestingly, Swann feels fast bowler Stuart Broad should have been given a chance to lead the Test team for some time. While calling it a personal opinion to allow someone else fill in the shoes of a captain, Swann stated he would be happy to see Root going past every record, as he has that ability with the bat.

Swann revealed the management is hinging on the top-notch players, who are giving their best while compensating for each other which according to him, is England’s rise in the 50-over format.

“But I hope I’m wrong and I stand to be corrected, but I’d have let Stuart Broad do it for a while,” Swann added.

The Northampton-born Swann believes the captaincy won’t help Root in his batting, but he feels Root has the capability to go a long way with the likes of Indian skipper Virat Kohli and New Zealand captain Kane Williamson.

“I don’t think it’s going to help his batting. I hope I’m wrong, I really do. And I hope he does go on to greater things like Virat and Steve Smith especially,” Swann remarked.

Swann, who played a pivotal role for England between 2011 and 2013 further saw his national side topping the ICC Test charts while giving his best in the long format cricket.

However, Swann believes Virat Kohli has been impressive with the thinking cap on for India while showing the complete promise with the bat.

“I mean the most impressive one of those is Virat because in India it’s probably the closest to England where captaincy is so much more,” Swann concluded.

Since making his debut in 2008, Swann featured in 60 Tests in which he claimed 255 wickets, as he further bagged 104 wickets in 79 One-day Internationals which further saw him collecting 51 wickets in 39 Twenty20 Internationals.

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