Root needs to carry on as England captain, says Vaughan

Former England captain Michael Vaughan backed test skipper Joe Root to guide England back from the brink following widespread criticism of the 31-year-old's captaincy after a meek surrender of the Ashes series to Australia.

Vaughan's comments are in stark contrast to the opinion of England great Geoffrey Boycott, who called on Root to step down, and Michael Atherton, who suggested Ben Stokes as a viable alternative for the captaincy.

"If Joe (Root) can get a victory it will give him a clear insight into what this team needs to do to be successful," Vaughan wrote in a column for The Telegraph.

"I can't see anyone else doing the job in the circumstances they are in at the moment. It is best if he carries on and lays the foundation for the cricket England need to play across the world.

"But if he gets a win or two it must not paper over the cracks. Changes still need to happen."

Vaughan added that England could not use a lack of preparation due to COVID-19 as an excuse, and said the team had to come to terms with their red-ball decline.

"I don't want to hear any excuses any more," Vaughan said. "This has been building for a long time. It is not just because they are in a bio-bubble.

"This was happening well before COVID-19. Obviously they were on the decline as a test team but they did not see it or they did not want to admit it. They were stubborn and thought they knew best."

The fourth Ashes Test will begin in Sydney on Jan 5.