Joe Root's return as Test captain a sign of England's problems

England's choice to reappoint Joe Root as full-time Test captain for their upcoming match against Pakistan hints at deeper issues within the team's leadership structure. Root, a premier batsman of his era, has already captained England in an astonishing 65 Tests, primarily during the period of 2017-2022. After a period of poor performance marked by just one win in 17 Tests, Root stepped down as captain due to the captaincy taking a toll on his performance.

He expressed relief at making the decision to step down, stating that it was like seeing a "shadow of the person I wanted to be" vanish. Despite his modest record as a captain, with a streak of 27 wins, 27 defeats, and 11 draws, Root is resuming the captaincy role once again. England lacks a clear alternative, as former captain Ben Stokes announced his retirement from international cricket mid-series against New Zealand, leaving Harry Brook, who captains England's white-ball teams, to fill the role.

Root's decision to abandon the midnight curfew imposed after Stokes and fast bowler Gus Atkinson's violation of it in a London bar further weakens England's leadership pool. The absence of other reliable batters and the fitness concerns of the bowlers make Root the only viable option for captaincy. England's desperation to keep Root as captain until the end of the year's Ashes, including tough matches in South Africa and a challenging series in Bangladesh, suggests they hope he can improve his leadership skills in a second tenure.

However, there's a worry that the experience might make Root less effective as a batsman, which is detrimental to England's needs as they strive to overcome the Bazball era and secure series victories against top teams like India and Australia.