'The last couple of years took the life of me' - Joe Root on giving up England Test captaincy

English Cricket has seen a lot since Joe Root stepped down as the captain of the Test side, Ben Stokes took the role, and Brendon McCullum joined the side as the head coach. The three incidents occurred consecutively, and it has had a worthy impact on the lives of all three, personally as well as professionally.

Even since he stepped down as the captain, Joe Root has been batting without any stress and has been accumulating runs with ease. He relaxed his mind and a shift in focus was visible. Serving as the skipper of England has its pros, but things did not come at ease. England lost multiple Test matches under Root’s captaincy, and the all-rounder had an adverse effect of the same mentally.

In an interview with former England skipper Michael Vaughan, speaking for the Vaughany & Tuffers CC podcast, Root opened up about how difficult it became to fulfill the captain’s duties at a point in time, and why he decided to give up on the role, as he said:

“The last couple of years, it took the life of me, really. And it did take its toll. It was the right decision for the group, first and foremost, but also for me personally, I wasn't myself. I was coming home from the series and I wasn't able to switch off or be present with my family. I could see myself as a shadow of the person that I want to be.”

It was quite a relief to get that off my chest: Root

Root revealed how losing the series against West Indies served as a point of realization for him, and backed him to take the big decision. He mentioned how the pressure had taken a toll on his personal life and was affecting his relationship with his kids and wife. As a result, he talked to Ben Stokes (the then vice captain), which gave him a major relief.

“Sometimes you've got to be big enough to understand that it's time to move on and for someone else to take that great honor on. It was when I got home from the West Indies tour but I think it had been coming for a long time. I just didn't want to believe it. It was getting to a point where I started to notice it and see the effect it was having on not just my kids, but Carrie, my wife. It just wasn't fair on those guys,” he added.

“Out there [West Indies], I was desperate to turn things around, but I'm so glad that we went about things the way we did. I spoke to Ben [Stokes] personally as my vice-captain and probably closest friend within the group first. It was quite a relief to get that off my chest,” Root further stated.