‘A Bit Disrespectful’: Joe Root Hits Back At Claims Pakistan Offered No Fight Against England

Joe Root has pushed back against suggestions that Pakistan have offered little resistance during England’s ongoing Test series, arguing that such criticism overlooks the quality of cricket played by both teams.

England have already secured an unassailable 2-0 lead after comprehensive victories at Headingley and Lord’s, but Root believes Pakistan’s struggles should not simply be interpreted as a lack of fight.

Speaking ahead of the third and final Test at Edgbaston, Root acknowledged that Pakistan have been a challenging opponent while also crediting England for preventing them from building momentum.

“Absolutely we have found [Pakistan] a challenge,” Root said. “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 as well and how quickly we’ve read the situations and the surfaces that we’ve had.”

The first Test at Headingley ended in an innings-and-103-run victory for England, while the hosts followed that up with a 194-run win at Lord’s. Those results have put England in position to complete a 3-0 series sweep.

Root Credits England’s Performance For Pakistan’s Struggles

Root also rejected the idea that one team’s dominance automatically means the opposition have performed poorly. Instead, the England batter believes the context of the contest needs to be considered.

“I think it’s very easy to say one team is excellent and one team is poor. Normally it’s somewhere in the middle,” he said.

“If one team has been outstanding, then the other team can’t have been poor and vice-versa. I think it’s important to live in that middle area somewhere and understand that that’s not how it is.”

His comments come amid a period of major upheaval for Pakistan. Following the Lord’s defeat, the Pakistan Cricket Board sent seven players home and made changes to the coaching setup, with Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke brought into new roles for the final Test. The changes have drawn criticism from former Pakistan coach Jason Gillespie, who questioned the timing and manner of the overhaul.

England Wary Of Pakistan’s Reshuffled Side

Despite England’s dominant position, Root is refusing to assume the final Test will be straightforward. Pakistan’s revamped squad includes several changes, while England have retained a 15-member squad for the Edgbaston contest.

“Regardless of what’s happened over the last two games, this week it’s a completely different proposition for us. There’s a very talented group of players in that dressing room, and you’ve got to be ready for it, so we’ll make sure that we are,” Root said.

The third Test begins on September 9 at Edgbaston, with England aiming to complete a clean sweep and Pakistan looking to salvage some pride from a turbulent tour.