After having his game ripped apart in a savage assessment by Shane Warne, England opener Joe Root admits he has no idea whether he’ll keep his place at the top of the order for the Ashes.
Root smashed 180 against Australia at Lord’s in July, but just four months later the wolves are at the door and there’s a push for veteran Michael Carberry to replace him.
Warne said Root would be “crucified” if left as Alastair Cook’s opening partner.
Baby-faced Yorkshireman Root looked vulnerable against the likes of Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle in just about every other one of his Ashes innings, and even when he made his ton he was let off the hook when in single figures by Brad Haddin’s poor miss.
Root averages 40 from 11 matches, and is a certainty for the first Test, but it’s possible he’ll have to be content with being bumped down to No.6.
Australian legspinning great Warne weighed into the debate on Monday in an interview with the British press, claiming Root simply didn’t have the game to survive as an opener.
“I don’t think Root’s an opener because of his technique. Australia found him out in England and in Australian conditions they’ll find him out more. You can’t get stuck on the crease in Australia because of the pace of the wickets,” said Warne, who also believes Alastair Cook’s captaincy could cost England the Ashes.
“It could be crucifying him if he’s got to face Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle and Mitchell Johnson on some fast, bouncy pitches. I think he’s just going to nick off a lot. Besides Lord’s, where he got 180, Australia really did have his number.”
During the last Ashes series, England found themselves three down for less than 64 on six occasions – with Root, Cook and Jonathan Trott all battling.
Asked where he wanted to bat, Root said he simply wanted to remain somewhere in the line-up, but admitted England needed to get off to stronger starts this summer than they did in the winter.
“That’s out of my hands but I’m definitely looking forward to it. I just want to play,” Root said.
“They bowled very well with new ball, showed with us being 3-30 quite often. We’re going to have to play well against the new ball over here because we don’t want to be in those sorts of positions.”
Root, 22, came to Australia in 2010-11 as a development player and attended the Darren Lehmann Cricket Academy, where he said the Aussie coach had an influence on his batting.
He says he hasn’t caught up with David Warner since the Australian punched him in a Birmingham nightclub back in June.
Carberry played one Test back in 2010 and averages 43 at first-class level.