"I think Joe Root is the man to captain the side" - Shane Warne 

Former Australian great Shane Warne has advocated for Joe Root to continue as England's Test captain despite their performance in the Ashes. He also thinks Root needs a good support group to help him with decision-making as the current crop isn't sufficient enough.

Root's team selection and tactics have come under fire in the ongoing Ashes, in which England trail 0-3 with one Test to play. As a result, there have been polarizing opinions on his future as captain. However, the entire team, notably Ben Stokes, has had Root's back.

Speaking to talkSport, Warne insisted on the right-handed batter carrying on in the skipper role. However, the 52-year old conceded that Roots needs better tacticians in his ranks. Shane Warne said:

"I think Joe Root is the man to captain the side. I think he should remain as captain. What he needs, though, is not sports science people or data. He can have those people in the background. But what he needs around him is hard, Test match players, who have been there and know the game of cricket."

Shane Warne added:

"They can help him with tactics and strategy. If you surround him with a few of those people, you’ll see the best of Root. You would have to say there’s not enough good cricket knowledge people around him."

The 31-year old, who accumulated over 1700 runs in 2021, hasn't been at his best with the bat in the series. Although Root has made three half-centuries, he failed to convert those knocks into triple figures. The skipper has also recorded two ducks.

"England will be disappointed with the way they’ve played" - Shane Warne

Shane Warne. (Image Credits: Getty)

Warne noted that England should have fared far better in the Ashes, criticizing their selection decisions. The Victorian questioned Stuart Broad's omission in the first Test given how he dominated David Warner in the 2019 Ashes series. Shane Warne said:

"England will be disappointed with the way they’ve played. They could’ve played a lot better. But I think Australia have been absolutely outstanding as well. I just think England have got a lot of the basics wrong. How does Stuart Broad not play that first Test?"

Shane Warne added:

"When you think of the 2019 Ashes series and what Broad did to David Warner, he owned him. When they announced Broad wasn’t playing, how do you think Warner felt? The selections have just been horrific, really. They haven’t got any of them right."

England showcased an improved batting performance in both innings of the Sydney Test, enabling them to draw the game. However, they will want a victory in the fifth Test to finish the tour on a high.