Contrary to what the results might suggest for England this summer, there remain a few woes for the team. While a 3-1 series win over South Africa and a 2-1 triumph over the West Indies might portray the side to be in really good shape in lead up to the Ashes, this is far from being the precise case.
With just days left for the team to be named for the all important series, England have their own set of woes to look into. As many as three of their top five slots are not certain, with the only certainties being skipper Joe Root and the ever magnanimous Alastair Cook.
This has put the team in a bit of dilemma, as Root’s reluctance to bat himself at the critical number three position has been plaguing England for a while. Tom Westley hasn’t exactly made a statement at 3, and for England to do well, their captain must take up that role.
Former greats too have urged Root to bat at 3 for the Ashes.
“The issue is, he doesn’t want to,” said former England captain Michael Atherton. “It’s a problem. I agree, I think Root should bat three, but he doesn’t want to, and that’s an issue.”
Resounding on similar lines, former skipper Nasser Hussain too advocated for Root to bat at 3.
“Your side is built on a solid top three but Root is always coming in reacting to a crisis,” said Hussain. “Wouldn’t it be better if Root goes in before a crisis happens?”
“When I saw him (about Ricky Ponting) bat at three – and he was one of the greatest players that I played with in my time – he was so proactive,” said Shane Warne, the former Australian spinner.
“You’d lose an early wicket, and suddenly the bowler’s on the back foot 20 minutes later, they’re defensive, a slip moves out to cover, and you can get momentum back in your favor.”