Root backed to lead England’s Ashes challenge

England director of men’s cricket Ashley Giles his backed Joe Root to lead the Three Lions in the next Ashes series Down Under. England failed to reclaim the famous urn when drawing 2-2 with Australia during the summer and will be underdogs when they face the Baggy Greens away from home in 2021-2022. Steve Smith proved to be the difference between the sides with a mountain of runs and, unless the former skipper suffers an unlikely slump, he will still be part of the side to face Root’s men on home soil. The Yorkshireman’s own position as skipper has come under scrutiny at times, with sections of the media suggesting it has affected his batting displays, while his tactics have also come into question. However, Giles is adamant that England’s best batsman will still be at the helm in 24 months’ time. “That’s the ‘holy grail’ for him,” the former England spinner told BBC’s Test Match Special. “Going to Australia and winning is the big prize, and we have enough time to plan for that. “We have talked about him leading and winning in Australia. We’ve not said: ‘Maybe if you get there.’ We plan for him to be our captain.”