We have to play well as a squad and there can’t be any selfish mentality: Joe Root

Joe Root will lead England into the Ashes that begins on November 23. (Source: Reuters)

England skipper Joe Root has called upon his side to brace for a tough fight in the upcoming Ashes series against Australia. With the absence of Ben Stokes being a major cause of concern for the Three Lions, another cause of worry is the inexperienced batting unit and niggles to Steve Finn and Moeen Ali. However, Root remains confident that the ghosts of last series’ loss will be buried as England will put up a much-improved performance.

“It’s a great opportunity for guys to stand up. When they do get a chance, they need to take it. It’s got to be a squad effort. We are going to have to play well as a squad and show a lot of character. There can’t be any selfish mentality out in the middle. It’s got to be about doing a job as a team and not worry about individual performances,” Root said while talking to reporters.

On the series in 2013, Root said, “There has been a lot of talk about last time, but we are a completely different side and so are they,” he said. “Of course, they will try to bring up stuff like that but we’ve played since then and against them (in 2015 in England) which went quite well for us.”

Addressing the absence of Ben Stokes and the appointment of a new vice-captain, Root said, “Hopefully in the next week or so, when we get into the two four-day matches,” he said. “It will be nice to get it nailed down by then. With the experience around the dressing room, we help each other out.”

“I don’t think it is too much else of an issue (not having a vice-captain),” he added. “It’s just about the person who does get the role knows that if I’m injured or off the field they are going to be in charge. Whenever you play an opposition in Australia, you are not expecting an easy ride,” he said. “It is going to be competitive and we are going to approach it like we approach any other game. They will want to prove a point against an international team. For us, it’s about grabbing our opportunities.