Joe Root to miss Southampton Test: It has been confirmed that the English captain will miss the first Test against West Indies.
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England Test captain Joe Root is all set to miss the first Test against West Indies at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton as him and his wife Carrie are expecting their second child in the first week of July.
Considering that the resumption of international cricket post the COVID-19 outbreak will be happening inside a bio-secure bubble, Root will be required to home quarantine for seven days after the birth of his second child before entering the bubble according to England Cricket Board.
Root, 29, is expected to join the English team on July 13 in Manchester where the second and third Tests are scheduled to be played.
Joe Root to miss Southampton Test
The development regarding the English captain is not unknown as he himself had nominated his deputy Ben Stokes as his replacement to lead England nearly a month ago.
Stokes, 29, has been England’s Test vice-captain for some years now. A stellar all-rounder across formats, Stokes is inexperienced in the captaincy department as he is yet to lead a side in competitive cricket.
Confirmation that Joe Root will miss next week’s first Test (birth of second child).
Ben Stokes – captain
Jos Buttler – vice-captain— Simon Mann (@Cricket_Mann) June 30, 2020
While former England batsman Kevin Pietersen spoke against Stokes leading the Test team in Root’s absence, the Durham player sounded prepared to take on the role on July 8.
England ODI and T20I vice-captain Jos Buttler has been named to play Stokes’ deputy in the first Test against West Indies. While the same almost confirms the former playing as a wicket-keeper batsman much like he did in South Africa earlier this year, it also settles the debate between picking one out of Buttler, Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes.
