Joe Root says last Ashes tour ‘arguably’ should not have gone ahead – BBC Sport

Former captain Joe Root says England “arguably” should not have gone on the last Ashes tour of Australia, amid Covid restrictions.

Much of the build-up to the 2021-22 series, which England lost 4-0, centred upon the conditions that would be imposed on the tourists.

Australia captain Pat Cummins and then England head coach Chris Silverwood both missed Tests because they were isolating, while the fifth Test was moved from Perth to Hobart.

“Thinking of Covid, it was about keeping the lights on last time we went,” said Root, 33. “Arguably we shouldn’t have gone last time, should we in retrospect?”

For much of the pandemic, Australia had some of the toughest Covid regulations on the planet.

Former England pace bowler Stuart Broad later said he classed the last Ashes series down under as “void”, with Australia seamer Mitchell Starc responding by questioning if the conditions were an “excuse” for the tourists’ heavy loss.

Australia retained the Ashes in the UK last summer thanks to a 2-2 series draw.

Now, England say the changes they have made to their side, starting with a huge victory over West Indies at Lord’s, have been made with the tour of Australia in 2025-26 in mind.

“We’ll be in a completely different place going into next time,” said Root, who was England’s skipper on the previous Ashes tour.

“You can plan and you can have all the best intentions of getting a result, but it still has to fall into place.

“You need all your bowlers fit and firing, and the guys in good form scoring runs, so that’s what we’ve got to build towards over the next couple of years.”

England have won only one series in Australia since 1986-87, a memorable 3-1 triumph in 2010-11. Australia have held the Ashes since 2018, but have not won in the UK since 2001.

Current captain Ben Stokes explained that the fresh look to his side is due to “decisions around what we think is best for the team going into that Ashes series”.

Out have gone Jonny Bairstow, Ben Foakes, Jack Leach and Ollie Robinson, while England’s all-time leading wicket-taker James Anderson played his last Test at Lord’s.

Pace bowler Gus Atkinson took match figures of 12-106, the best by an England bowler on debut since 1890, and wicketkeeper Jamie Smith made 70 on his Test bow. Off-spinner Shoaib Bashir made his home debut but was not required to bowl.

“You look at what we’ve had on previous tours to Australia and what we feel like is going to be successful out there in those conditions,” said batter Root, who is second on the all-time list of England’s Test run-scorers.

“As a player they’re the series that you’re always looking forward to, they’re the ones you’re always building towards.

“It’s nice to see two guys this week come in and pretty much be the most effective two players in the whole game.”

Pace bowler Mark Wood has replaced Anderson in the England squad for the second Test at Trent Bridge, which begins on Thursday.