Darren Gough opens up on Joe Root relinquishing England Test captain duties

Former England cricketer Darren Gough has said that while Joe Root has made the right call to give up the Test captaincy, he was surprised with the sudden development.

Root, who is statistically England's most successful Test captain, relinquished leadership duties on Friday afternoon following a poor 12 months that saw his team lose 11 out of 17 Tests and win just one.

While Gough believes that Root made the right call, he was sympathetic towards his Yorkshire compatriot, stating that the champion batsman didn't always have the best players at his disposal in the last 12-15 months.

He also added that Root was a respected figure in the dressing room and a perfect man to lead the country at the time.

"He's come home, thought about the pluses and negatives and thought, 'yep, it's time to go now. He's probably thought that now's the right time to step away, but I was surprised when I was over breakfast this morning, and it popped up on the screen," said Darren Gough during his first address to the Yorkshire Cricket Team following his appointment as 'Director of Cricket.'

"The problem is that one win in 17 is the one that goes against him, 27 Test victories, though. So when you think about it, would you say he's always had the best players available in the last 17 Test matches? I would say not."

"I think Joe - and I've been in that dressing room environment in New Zealand - is hugely respected by every single player and coaching staff. And he was the perfect man for the job," he added.

Gough is also hopeful that Root will be available for 2-3 County Championship games for Yorkshire before the International summer gets underway.

"Realistically, with a bit of luck, I'd like to think we'd get him for two or three games before the Test series starts./Whatever we get Joe Root for is a bonus. He loves playing for Yorkshire," he said.

"He's been on messages and wished everybody luck before this game. That's the sort of character he is. To get a player of his experience and brilliance - I can't wait to have him back," he added.

Root, who took over the leadership duties of the Test team from Sir Alastair Cook during the 2017 summer, led England in 64 games, winning 27 and losing 26, while 13 matches ended in a draw.