The handshake tradition is no more than a PR move says Root.
The Ashes has just begun and already, the tension is mounting both on and off the field. Joe Root, England’s Test skipper, and head coach Trevor Bayliss are not happy with Tim Paine’s handshake tradition before games. When Paine took over the reins as the skipper in 2018, he started a pre-game handshake tradition between teams at the start of every Test series as a way of rebuilding their image after the ball-tampering scandal.
With this, Root and Bayliss notified officials and said that they were not consulted about this. “Root, while not looking to stoke up ill-feeling between the teams, is said to be less than convinced of the necessity for what is essentially a PR move, not least since it does not take place before any other Test series,” a report said.
Cameron Bancroft, Steve Smith, and David Warner, all of whom got banned regarding the ball-tampering issue, will be part of the first Test. This doesn’t bother Roy who said that “we’ll see how that unfolds in the course of the series. To be honest, their behaviour doesn’t really concern me. The thing that concerns me is that we go about things in our own way. It’s really important we look after that and don’t get too wrapped up in how they play their cricket.”
The Ashes, a Test series between England and Australia, has begun and is set to last until September 16. To find out more about this and other tournaments, leagues, and matches, visit Betwala's page.
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