England’s batting maestro Joe Root has opened up about the profound influence head coach Brendon McCullum has had on his approach to the game, crediting the former New Zealand skipper for breathing new life into his batting career.

Root’s tenure as England captain, spanning from 2017 to 2022, was a period of both immense responsibility and growing personal pressure. Despite a bright start, the latter stages of his captaincy witnessed a noticeable dip in his prolific form. Although he managed to score 14 centuries across 64 Tests at an average of 46.44, accumulating 5,295 runs, his conversion rate began to falter, and the weight of leadership increasingly took its toll.

England’s performances mirrored Root’s personal struggles. The final stretch of his captaincy was particularly dismal, with the team managing just a single win in 17 Tests. This period also coincided with the challenging bio-secure bubbles imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, which added further strain on players’ mental and physical wellbeing.