Joe Root insists he is ‘right man to take England forward’ before Windies series

Joe Root admitted his England team have a point to prove in the Caribbean and reiterated his own belief at being the right man to lead in a Test series that could decide his fate as captain.

Speaking before Tuesday’s first Test against West Indies in Antigua – a match in which Durham’s Alex Lees will make his debut at opener and Jack Leach is likely to get the nod on a bare pitch – Root attempted to outline his vision of England’s so called “reset”.

Despite one win in 14 and a horror Ashes series, the 31-year-old was backed to lead this tour when Andrew Strauss took over as the interim director of cricket. But with a new management team set to be appointed, his continuation beyond is not guaranteed and positive results are urgently required.

“It’s an opportunity for all of us to prove a point,” said Root. “Hopefully this can be a real start in changing our performances; to start getting back to where we need to be, which is one of the leading teams in Test cricket.

“I think I’m the right man for the role, the right man to take this team forward. And as long as that is the case, I’ll be fully committed to the role.” Root sidestepped the inevitable questions about the absence of Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad, preferring to focus on “the opportunity” for others. This means Chris Woakes and Craig Overton are likely to share the new ball with Ollie Robinson unfit, alongside Mark Wood’s pace and the spin of Leach.

Key to this is how much Ben Stokes can bowl on his comeback from a side strain, with Root optimistic a limited number of overs are possible.

Stokes has also recently shouldered arms to the Indian Premier League to focus on Test cricket, having admitted he felt he let down the team in Australia.

“I’m pretty chuffed