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West Indies vs England news: Joe Root issues rallying call ahead of series decider

Joe Root says he is in no doubt he is the right man to captain England as attention turns to the series showdown against West Indies in Grenada.

All roads lead to the National Cricket Stadium, St George's, on Thursday as the Three Lions bid to end an attritional stay in the Caribbean on a high, with the first and second Tests ending in draws.
The deadlock is perhaps unsurprising given the hosts remains with a Test win in 10 attempts since February 2021, while England have only won one of their last 16.
A post-Ashes overhaul saw director of cricket Ashley Giles and head coach Chris Silverwood depart but uncertainty about Root's own future remains as part of the England and Wales Cricket Board's bid to appoint a new managing director before the three-Test home series against New Zealand in June.
Root, 31, believes he is the right candidate to take England forward but will not concern himself with decisions he cannot control.
"I think I'm the right man to take the team forward, if the head coach comes in and thinks differently, that's fine, that's their decision," he said.
"While I'm in this position, I'll do everything I can to make this team as good as I possibly can. I'm a massive England fan. I just want to see us do well. I'll keep doing everything I can to make us as good as we can be and if that means in time I'm no longer in this position, I'll still do everything I can to help this team and to try to take us to be the best team in the world."
England were thumped 4-0 by Australia in the recent Ashes and have not won a Test series in West Indies since 2004.
The tourists will be missing seam bowler Ollie Robinson but Craig Overton has recovered from a bout of sickness and returns in place of Matt Fisher.
Root said: "Off the back of a very difficult winter, it would be a great way to round things off and a great way to start this year."

National Cricket Stadium, Grenada

March 24-28

14:00 GMT

England team to face West Indies:

Alex Lees, Zak Crawley, Joe Root (captain), Dan Lawrence, Ben Stokes, Jonathan Bairstow, Ben Foakes (wicketkeeper), Chris Woakes, Craig Overton, Jack Leach, Saqib Mahmood.

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