England captain Joe Root hit out at the “disrespectful” notion Pakistan have shown a lack of fight during their turbulent Test tour.
Summarily thrashed at Headingley and Lord’s to go 2-0 down in the three-match series, Pakistan took the unprecedented step of sending seven players plus head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and assistant Umar Gul home.
Pakistan on Monday announced an inquiry had been launched into “media reports concerning discipline and conduct”, but Root felt a question about the tourists showing a defeatist attitude was a step too far.
“Absolutely, we’ve found Pakistan a challenge,” Root said on the eve of the third Test at Edgbaston. “I think that’s a bit disrespectful to both Pakistan as a team and to us as a team.
“I don’t think we’ve allowed them to get into games because of how well we’ve played and how quickly we’ve read the situations and the surfaces that we’ve had.
“I think it’s very easy to say one team is excellent and one team is poor. Normally it’s somewhere in the middle. If one team has been outstanding then the other team can’t have been poor and vice versa.”
While Root’s return to a leadership role could not have gone any better, he has endured a lean run with the bat this summer, averaging 29.44 in five Tests, although pitches have been overwhelmingly in favour of seam bowlers.
Root has been lbw nine times in his past seven Tests and struggled with the wicketkeeper standing up to the stumps, but the Yorkshireman says he enjoys the challenge of trying to get back into form.
“You’re always looking to find ways of improving and there’s always going to be something,” he said. “There’s always something to contend with.
“I’ve found it quite tricky but I always think that’s the fun bit, you’re not always going to have things your own way, you’re not always going to feel a million dollars.
“You shouldn’t dread that, you shouldn’t be worried about what could go wrong. It should be: ‘this is a chance to go and do something special and win a game for your country’.”
With Jacob Bethell to come back into the set-up after injury and Jordan Cox and Dan Lawrence impressing on their international returns, Emilio Gay’s position appears the most vulnerable ahead of the final Test of the summer – England’s last for three months with their next assignment a trip to South Africa.
Root refused to be drawn on anything beyond this week but feels opening batter Gay’s contributions have been better than 211 runs in five Tests at a modest 23.44 might suggest.
“He’s in the hardest possible position,” Root said. “You’re top of the order, fresh bowlers, new pitch, brand new ball and it’s been really tough work this summer, but I think he’s done really well.
“I’m excited for him to get the opportunity to go and hopefully show again the composure that he has, the calm nature in which he starts the innings and show everyone his ability and his talent.”
England probable team: B Duckett, E Gay, J Cox, J Root (c), H Brook, D Lawrence, J Smith (wk), G Atkinson, O Robinson, J Archer, J Tongue.
Pakistan probable team: S Ayub, A Awais, S Masood, A Shafique, B Azam (c), S Shakeel, G Ghori (wk), M Ali, Razaullah, U Shah, M Abbas.
