Joe Root blames ‘perfect storm’ for England’s slump in white-ball cricket

Joe Root has described England’s white-ball problems as “the perfect storm” after they were beaten by South Africa in the first of the three-game ODI series, a fifth reverse in seven matches at home this summer.

Root top-scored with 86 as England were bowled out for 271 at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday to lose by 62 runs, but insisted he was “not too concerned” following series defeats to India in both 20- and 50-over formats with another setback.

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England are dealing with injuries, a wildly congested schedule, a lack of form among key players, and a hot, dry summer that is producing wickets and playing conditions unlike those normally faced in this country, all while being led by a new captain. But Root, the former Test captain, insisted none of these issues is genuinely serious, and that Friday’s second game at Old Trafford is more likely to see his side end the sequence than prolong the agony.

“Our dressing room has got quite a lot of experienced players that, like myself, have been through it and seen the lowest of the low,” Root said. “We know how quickly things can change, so I’m not too concerned. It’s like that Chumbawamba song, you get knocked down and you get up again. That’s exactly how we’ve got to go about things.

“The schedule is hard, it is, but as a player you can’t really change it. So if you want to play you crack on, unfortunately. With games coming quite thick and fast, it gives you an opportunity to put anything you want to improve straight into a match scenario. It’s another opportunity for us to do that when we turn up at Old Trafford.”

That will be the team’s first game following the retirement from 50-over cricket of