It's crunch time for England cricket as skipper Joe Root reflects on a series of unforced errors that have left him and his teammates red-faced. "Disappointing" was the word he used, echoing the sentiments of fans everywhere after two players breached team rules, leading to their exclusion from Thursday's second Test against New Zealand.
Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson had let themselves down – and the rest of the squad – by flouting England's midnight curfew in a bid to extend celebrations over their thrilling Lord's victory. The consequences are severe: Root is back in the hot seat, leading his side for the 65th time in a Test match, a significant return given his previous confession that captaining had taken a "bad toll on my own personal health".
This latest breach follows a woeful winter marked by a string of embarrassing disciplinary and alcohol-related incidents involving England players. Root was himself part of the post-Lord's bash, but managed to slip away before curfew, unlike some others who won't be donning their whites at The Oval this week.
"We've let ourselves down on a few occasions," Root admitted. "And we've let each other down. We have to learn from those mistakes – and make sure we understand why we shouldn't put ourselves in those situations." For him, the message is clear: win or lose, there's always time for celebrations – but they must be done at the right time.
While Root has vowed not to let this latest setback dent his excitement about leading the team this week, partnering with Brendon McCullum, he refused to rule out a permanent return to the captaincy should Stokes opt-out or find himself unavailable. "I'm a very different player now," Root insisted – and for good reason: his past stint as skipper has given way to a new appreciation of cricket's finer points.
He revealed that he'd retrieved his trusty old captain's blazer from the garage, where it had been gathering dust. "It was a bit creased," he chuckled, crediting McCullum for bringing him back into the fold – and making this Test series one to watch.