'Shambolic': Ben Stokes backs Joe Root in slamming ECB for not hosting any Ashes 2027 Test at Headlingley

'Shambolic': Ben Stokes backs Joe Root in slamming ECB for not hosting any Ashes 2027 Test at Headlingley originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Ben Stokes and Joe Root criticised the ECB's decision to leave Headingley off the 2027 Ashes schedule.
• Stokes called the snub "shambolic," despite England winning their last seven Tests at the venue.
• Root said it was a "shame" his home ground would miss out, with Trent Bridge now the northernmost Ashes venue.

Ben Stokes joins Joe Root to slam ECB over Headingley 2027 Ashes snub

Ben Stokes has thrown his weight behind Joe Root's frustration over the ECB's decision to keep Headingley off next year's Ashes schedule, calling the move "shambolic" and adding fresh fuel to a growing debate over the venue's snub.

The former English skipper made no secret of his frustration that the historic Leeds ground won't host another Test until 2029, despite England having won their last seven matches there.

The comments followed England's commanding win over Pakistan by an innings and 103 runs on Friday, after which Root, speaking about his home ground missing out on Ashes cricket in 2027, called it a "shame."

Stokes then shared a screenshot of Root's remarks on social media, adding his own blunt assessment of the decision. "Shame is an understatement tbh!! Shambolic would be more appropriate. Great win though," Stokes wrote.

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What did Joe Root say about missing out on Ashes cricket at Headingley?

Root echoed similar sentiments and expressed his own disappointment at not being able to feature in Ashes cricket at his home venue next year.

"I'd love to play as many games as possible here at Headingley. It's a great Test match venue and a surface that provides brilliant Test cricket," he said.

"We've had quite a lot of success recently, so it's a shame we don't get to play here next year."

Root, though, was careful not to overstep into scheduling matters that fall outside his control. "But I should probably stay in my lane and understand that it's someone else's job to sort out."

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Why does Headingley matter so much to Stokes?

Stokes' connection to Headingley runs deeper than most, given his unforgettable unbeaten 135 against Australia there back in 2019.

It is widely regarded as one of the greatest innings in Test history. That knock was built alongside Jack Leach, who contributed just a single run as the pair added an unbroken 76 for the last wicket to complete one of cricket's most dramatic victories.

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Stokes has, at least for now, ruled out a return to the England side for next summer's Ashes series. He'd previously spoken about his disappointment that no Test would be played in the north of England in 2027, with Trent Bridge now standing as the most northerly venue on the schedule.

"I'm a bit devastated that there won't be any Ashes cricket in 2027 in the north," Stokes said. "I don't make those calls but, if I was involved, I would have said, 'Please keep at least one game in the north.' I think it's always a loud atmosphere. You know the crowds we get in the north are very good. We get a lot of support."

A fair complaint, even if the criticism runs both ways

Stokes and Root have every right to be frustrated here, and their argument holds up well. Headingley's recent Test record speaks for itself, and northern crowds do bring an atmosphere that's hard to replicate elsewhere in English cricket.

Leaving out a venue with that kind of pedigree and fan support, especially for the biggest series on the calendar, does look like a curious call from a purely cricketing standpoint.

That said, scheduling decisions rarely come down to form and atmosphere alone. Venue rotation, broadcast considerations, and commercial factors all play into these calls, and the ECB likely weighed variables neither player has full visibility into.

Root's decision to acknowledge that scheduling isn't his department shows a healthy bit of restraint that Stokes' "shambolic" comment perhaps lacked. Still, when two of England's most respected voices, one a sitting captain and the other a modern great with a personal Ashes legacy tied to that very ground, speak up together, the ECB would do well to at least explain its reasoning rather than let the criticism go unanswered.

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