‘Disrespectful’: Joe Root rejects claims Pakistan have shown no fight

England captain Joe Root has rejected suggestions that Pakistan have shown “no fight” during the ongoing Test series, calling such criticism disrespectful to both teams.

BIRMINGHAM: England captain Joe Root has rejected suggestions that Pakistan have shown “no fight” during the ongoing Test series, calling such criticism disrespectful to both teams.

England enter the third and final Test at Edgbaston on Wednesday with an unassailable 2-0 lead after convincing victories at Headingley and Lord’s. Despite Pakistan’s struggles, Root insisted that England’s own performances had played a major role in preventing their opponents from building momentum.

Responding to a question about facing a Pakistan side accused of offering little resistance, Root said the characterization was unfair.

“Absolutely we have found Pakistan a challenge,” Root said during his pre-match press conference at Edgbaston.

The England captain pointed to his team’s ability to adapt quickly to match situations and playing conditions as one reason Pakistan had struggled to establish themselves in the first two Tests.

England won the opening Test at Headingley by an innings and 103 runs before recording a 194-run victory at Lord’s. Pakistan have also failed to reach 200 in their four innings during the series.

However, Root argued that cricket should not simply be viewed as a contest between one excellent team and one poor team.

“I think it’s very easy to say one team is excellent and one team is poor. Normally it’s somewhere in the middle,” he said.

Root added that if one side had performed exceptionally well, it did not necessarily mean the opposition had been poor.

His comments come after major changes to Pakistan’s Test setup following the second Test. The Pakistan Cricket Board sent seven players home and removed Test coach Sarfaraz Ahmed, with white-ball coach Mike Hesson taking over.

Seven new players have subsequently joined Pakistan’s squad including five who have yet to make their Test debuts.

Root warned that England must be prepared for a different challenge in Birmingham despite their commanding series position.

“Regardless of what’s happened over the last two games this week it’s a completely different proposition for us,” he said.

The England skipper also acknowledged the quality within Pakistan’s dressing room and said his team could not afford to become complacent.

“There’s a very talented group of players in that dressing room and you’ve got to be ready for it,” Root said.

With England already having secured the series, Pakistan will now look to avoid a clean sweep in the final Test and finish the tour on a positive note.