Ben Stokes with England skipper Joe Root (Picture: Getty)

Joe Root should be given the opportunity to concentrate on being the best batsman in the world rather than captaining England, according to Graeme Swann.

Root took over as England skipper from Alastair Cook at the start of the year but former spinner Swann says he would have given the gig to opening bowler Stuart Broad.

Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers react as Royal Challengers Bangalore make winning IPL start

Scoring 162 runs in five innings, Root has not been at his best during the 2017-18 Ashes series as Australia dominated the first two Test matches in Brisbane and Adelaide.

Swann would also prefer to see Root batting at number three when suspended all-rounder Ben Stokes returns to the team.




Stokes, 26, is currently unavailable for selection after his arrest over an incident that occurred outside a nightclub in Bristol in September.

Stokes has not played for England since last summer (Picture: Getty)

Speaking to BBC Test Match Special, Swann said: ‘If Stokes comes back in I see him batting at five, Bairstow at six and Moeen at seven.

‘Malan could move up – all of a sudden you have a team coming together. Batting Bairstow down with the tail makes him a worse player, ergo it makes the team worse.

‘The same could be said with making Joe Root captain. He should be concentrating on being the best batsman in the world.

‘He should bat where he wants and not be captain – I would have made Stuart Broad captain.’

Graeme Swann has suggested England made a mistake (Picture: Getty)

Root is not the only England batsman to have endured a quiet Ashes series – opener Alastair Cook, who is playing his 150th Test match at the WACA, is yet to pass 40 in five innings.

‘Cook is having a bit of a struggle, it’s a top-class Australian attack,’ former England captain Michael Atherton told Sky Sports.

‘They’re fierce bowlers so it’s not easy against the new ball on a pitch like this. He’s obviously not in his best form, he’s been struggling throughout the tour so far.’

On skipper Root’s form, Atherton added: ‘I think Joe’s game is a little bit off, his balance isn’t quiet there. He’s not playing at his absolutely best, he’s grafting and trying to find his rhythm.’

MORE: Ricky Ponting and Michael Vaughan slam ‘lazy’ England all-rounder Moeen Ali