Don't ruin Root by making him England captain yet warns Devon Malcolm

Former England fast bowler Devon Malcolm believes Joe Root went “to another stratosphere” before the Ashes - but fears making him England captain too soon could ruin the world’s number one batsman.

England’s 3-2 series victory over Australia to regain the Ashes has ensured captain Alastair Cook keeps his job but a defeat would almost certainly have thrust vice-captain Root into becoming the leader.

That, says Malcolm, could have had a detrimental effect on the 24-year-old batsman - not because Root isn’t ready or capable of captaincy but because of how the burden will affect his batting.

Root posted a match-winning innings of 134 in the first test in Cardiff, a crucial 63 in the third test at Edgbaston and 130 in the decisive victory in the fourth test at Trent Bridge.

It was prior to the Ashes when Malcolm realised how good Root could become as he watched the Yorkshireman make 98 in the first test against New Zealand at Lord’s to dig England out of a sticky hole at 25-3.

“He has really gone on to another stratosphere - another level,” Malcolm said. “He has no fear. On the first day against New Zealand at Lord’s Root came out to bat with three wickets down. I watched him and thought how good he was. My Lord, what a player he is. From that game, it freed him up in some way.”

With 460 runs in the Ashes series, Root was by far and away England’s best batsman. Only Australia’s Steve Smith and Chris Rogers bettered his total.

Significantly Root contributed his key innings in the three games England won - and importantly when it mattered most, with his team needing a big innings to set up the victories.

It seems only a matter of time before Root will be leading England out into battle, but Malcolm warned: “Joe is young and has done brilliantly, but he should just carry on batting. Cooky is doing a good job (as captain) and has another four or five years.

"Joe shouldn’t be thinking about the captaincy. He’s got to realise that everything Cook touched turned to gold a couple of years back and it isn’t always going to be like that.

"He’s just got to continue playing the way he is and he will give England a lot of confidence. He’s number one in the world now and I wouldn’t want to see him as captain at the moment. Sometime in the future he will be captain, but he should just continue batting the way he is.”

Despite the triumph, the Ashes was far from plain sailing for England. But Malcolm believes the talent is there and the team just needs to feed on the confidence they can get from bringing home the urn.

“I saw England in the World Cup and thought they were better than that,” he said. “I watched them draw the series in the West Indies too. I don’t know if it was the change of management and (Andrew) Strauss (coming in), but they changed.

"I believe the way New Zealand played forced England to step up to the plate. That was an eye-opener and England quickly turned it round and have made Australia look extremely ordinary.

"What I say about England is that they are real team. Stokes is a special player and Joe Root is a fantastic cricketer. We’ve got a really good crop of players. The confidence at the moment is high and there is some real talent in the team. Confidence is the big thing.”

Malcolm’s long-standing place in the record books - he holds the best test match figures by an England bowler thanks to his 9-57 against South Africa at the Oval in 1994 - almost disappeared during the Ashes series.

Stuart Broad eventually fell one wicket short of setting a new record when taking 8-15 during that dramatic morning session at Trent Bridge. Malcolm was in awe, but ultimately grateful to remain a record holder.

“Stuart Broad was fantastic,” he said. “To watch him execute his skills like that was fantastic. He got pretty close and he bowled very well. It’s possible he will never bowl as well as that again.

"I was thinking, Dev your record has gone here. But bowlers do their work in pairs these days so you probably aren’t going to see anyone get nine wickets.”