Joe Root quits his England test Captaincy

After five years as England Test captain, Joe Root has resigned following a series defeat in the West Indies. Root quits the post after leading the team in 64 Tests, the most of any England player. And he led his side to triumph 27 times, a record for England. However, England's final year in the job has been nothing short of a disaster, with the team losing 11 and winning just once in their last 17 games was putting his position in jeopardy.

The red ball team has slipped to the bottom of the World Test Championship standings after series defeats to India, New Zealand, Australia, and the West Indies, with Root overseeing his 26th defeat as captain in Grenada, which is also an England record.

The 31-year-old will continue to bat for the england as a world-class batsman, but his time as captain is up after reflecting on the team's terrible performance in the 4-0 Ashes loss in Australia, followed by another crushing defeat in the Caribbean.

Joe Root as England men's Test captain: 

Most matches - 64

Most wins - 27

Most defeats - 26

Most Runs - 5295

Most Hundred - 14

Most Fifties - 26

Most Catches - 87

His tally of 5,295 runs as skipper is the highest by any England captain

Root said: “After returning from the Caribbean tour and having time to reflect, I have decided to step down as England Men’s Test Captain. It has been the most challenging decision I have had to make in my career but having discussed this with my family and those closest to me; I know the timing is right.

"I am immensely proud to have captained my country and will look back on the past five years with enormous pride. It has been an honour to have done the job and to have been a custodian of what is the pinnacle of English cricket. I have loved leading my country, but recently it has hit home how much of a toll it has taken on me and the impact it has had on me away from the game.