Root, England’s greatest batter and a veteran of 166 Tests, said he hoped his “natural persona” is suited to bringing a sense of calm to the men’s national team.
Off-field issues dominated last winter’s tours, including an incident involving Harry Brook being punched by a nightclub bouncer in Wellington and the team’s drinking during a mid-Ashes trip to Noosa, culminating in a heavy 4-1 defeat by Australia.
The issues continued into the summer when Stokes broke a team curfew, setting in motion a chaotic six weeks that resulted in a 2-1 series defeat by New Zealand, Stokes’ retirement and the sacking of McCullum.
Fellow New Zealander Stephen Fleming has been appointed as McCullum’s replacement, but batting coach Marcus Trescothick will take interim charge of the Test side for the three-match series against Pakistan.
Root, who has already led England in 65 Tests having held the role between 2017 and 2022, said one of his “big challenges” is “trying not to be Ben Stokes”.
“He is a very unique player with unbelievable qualities that I don’t think are easy to replicate,” Root said. “I don’t think there is any point trying to.
“It is going to have a slightly different look to it but that is OK.
“There has been a lot of good stuff that has happened in the past four years that will serve us really well.
“It is about not ripping it up, just fine tuning and evolving that and taking that to the next level. We have got to find a way of evolving the team without him.”
A tempting life as a full-time family man nearly pulled Khalil Mack away from football.
“I was leaning towards coming back the whole time,” Mack said of mulling retirement before signing a one-year, $18-million contract in March to remain with the Chargers. “But it’s just considering the stage of life my kids are at, that balance of being a dad and a husband but still trying to follow the dream. I feel like I’m still in a position to do both.”
The future Hall of Famer decided the show must go on.
And now, with championship aspirations entering his 13th season, and fifth in Los Angeles, Mack is basking in his role as the Chargers’ elder statesman.
“Priceless,” defensive coordinator Chris O’Leary said of the 35-year-old outside linebacker’s presence. “He’s the flag bearer of our culture on defense. He leads the way with his actions. … When it’s time for him to say something, he’s going to say something.
“You’ve got a group of young edges in that room that all they’re doing is watching everything he does [and] listening to everything he says. It’s more valuable than anything I can say or do.”
IChargers linebacker Khalil Mack embraces one of his son on the sideline before a game against the Raiders at SoFi Stadium last season.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
He’s the 2016 defensive player of the year. He has nine Pro Bowl selections and three All-Pro nods under his belt. And 113 sacks to his name.
Mack, despite coming off an injury-riddled down year, has never needed an introduction.
“He’s one of the best players of our generation,” offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel said.
Yet, perhaps even more invaluable than Mack’s on-the-field impact is his leadership.
“Oh, man, I try,” Mack said. “I try to motivate.”
He’s pretty good at it.
Whether by sharing pointers with rookies or helping rising stars such as teammate Tuli Tuipulotu navigate fuzzy contract negotiations, Mack makes himself available to help those in the Chargers organization become their best selves.
“It is unique,” Mack said of being a resource. “When you’re in that room, you want to be the guy you wanted to see early on … have those conversations that you wanted to have early on in your career, whether it was financial [or] different conversations you wanted to have and guys pouring into you.”
Mack learned the importance of passing down knowledge as a youngster in Oakland under the tutelage of seasoned veterans Charles Woodson and Justin Tuck.
“I feel like it [was] the catalyst for my career. I had them to lean on and those examples to lean on,” Mack said.
Nowadays, the Buffalo product stands on the other side of the street, paving the way for the next generation as one of the league’s older stars.
“I got friends that don’t play anymore,” Mack jested. “They’re like, ‘Aye, Mack, it’s lonely on this side.’ They’re always talking about the locker room and camaraderie. It’s just knowing how special being in the locker room is and being around your guys and enjoying it while you can.”
On that note, Mack has made it a point to savor every moment of training camp.
ISteelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers fumbles the ball as he’s sacked by Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack in the end zone during a game last season at SoFi Stadium.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Beyond looking the part, he has already spent time helping teammates better their technique, jumping at the opportunity to teach.
“He walked up and asked me three things that he can work on,” Mack said of helping rookie offensive tackle Travis Burke after practice. “I talked him through that stuff … kind of reminds me of Joe [Alt] his first year. Whatever I can share, I’m going to share, because I want them to be the best version of themselves.”
No one has anything bad to say about the man who wears No. 52.
Instead, everyone in the Chargers organization knows how integral Mack is to the day-to-day operations.
“Right now, [the rookies] don’t know any other way to do it than the way Derwin [James] does it, the way Justin [Herbert] does it, the way K-Mack does it,” coach Jim Harbaugh said. “They don’t know any other way to do it than the way those best players go about their business. …”
Mack is the epitome of a pro’s pro.
Since being the No. 5 overall pick in the 2014 draft, he has been one of the most dominant pass rushers of his generation, one of the richest players off it, and in between, the ultimate captain.
“I had a lot of coaches that were in my ear about being a professional early,” Mack said. “I feel like that’s helped prolong my career. … You can take what you want and take what works for you … that’s kind of the advice I give.”
Mack returned to the Chargers to compete for the Vince Lombardi Trophy. But playing big brother to his teammates, has been a joyous subplot.
Rams defensive end Myles Garrett smiles during training camp at Loyola Marymount on July 26.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
The Myles Garrett effect is not confined to the defense.
“Everybody on the field can kind of feel this aura sitting on whatever side of the field he’s on,” offensive guard Kevin Dotson said. “You just feel this monster energy.”
Garrett, a 10th year pro and two-time NFL defensive player of the year, laughed when asked if he was conscious of his aura.
“I guess,” he said. “It’s great to hear that they have respect for me.”
Garrett, 30, is one of the biggest stars on a star-studded Rams team that is favored to win the Super Bowl, regardless of whether Donald comes out of retirement.
Garrett, the No. 1 pick in the 2017 draft out of Texas A&M, amassed 125½ sacks in nine seasons with the Cleveland Browns. He was defensive player of the year in 2023 and also last season, when he recorded a league-record 23 sacks.
In June, the Rams sent edge rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick and future second- and third-round picks to the Browns for Garrett. He was regarded as the final piece for a franchise intent on winning a second Super Bowl title under McVay.
Garrett is acclimating to Southern California and a team that advanced to the NFC championship game last season before losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
“It’s starting to feel like home rather quickly,” he said.
It did not take long for Garrett to ingratiate himself. His skill, work ethic and knowledge are imparted in the meeting room and on the field, edge rusher Byron Young said.
“It’s amazing,” Young said. “It’s art.”
Last season, Young recorded a career-best 12 sacks and was voted to the Pro Bowl.
With Garrett now lining up alongside him, the fourth-year pro is soaking in knowledge and learning from his example. Though Garrett, at 6 feet, 4 inches and 272 pounds, makes plays that can’t be replicated by others.
Myles Garrett (95) takes part in training camp along with wide receivers Puka Nacua (12) and Davante Adams (17) on July 26.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Garrett’s quickness off the ball is “insane,” Young said, noting that Garrett eats up “three or four yards,” with his first step.
“That right there alone is amazing,” Young said.
Garrett’s influence could be magnified if Donald, a three-time defensive player of the year, ends a two-year retirement to pursue another Super Bowl ring.
Garrett said he would not try to sway Donald’s decision. But he acknowledged that it would be exciting to be a “partner in crime” with the eight-time All-Pro.
“There’s a lot we can learn from each other,” Garrett said, “and I’d love to pick his brain on the things he does to attack his matchups and I think the same could be said vice versa.”
During training camp, Garrett and teammates are focused on blending their talents at all three levels of the defense.
Garrett is a “freak athlete for sure,” lineman Kobie Turner said.
Myles Garrett takes part in drills at Rams training camp on July 27.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
“We definitely understand the opportunities that should get opened up,” said Turner, who had seven sacks last season, “and if those opportunities don’t open up and they leave him soloed up, he’s going to take advantage.”
There is “no question” Garrett will dominate, Lake said.
“So now,” he said, “it’s just making sure, ‘Hey, can we do our job so this guy can go cut it loose over there too?’”
Garrett has embraced the Rams’ culture, built during McVay’s nine seasons during which the Rams made seven playoff appearances and played in two Super Bowls, winning one.
He is eager to share his knowledge and experience but also learn from younger teammates. The Rams’ defensive front features Young, Turner, and linemen Braden Fiske and Poona Ford, among others.
“This group was doing great without me,” Garrett said. “I want to just try to help elevate other guys and the playmakers that we have here.”
There is still “a lot of rust to knock off,” during camp and the lead-up to the season, he said.
Ben Stokes has apologised to his team-mates before his return as England captain for the third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge.
Stokes and pace bowler Gus Atkinson were made unavailable for the second Test, which ended in a 253-run defeat, pending an investigation into a breach of the team’s midnight curfew and an incident in a London nightclub following England’s victory in the series opener.
Both players have been recalled to the XI for the third Test, which starts on Thursday, after being found blameless of “violent conduct” by the Cricket Regulator.
A disciplinary hearing by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), however, found they had “breached contractual obligations” and have been issued with a written warning.
Joe Root captained the side in Stokes’ absence, with Sonny Baker, Jordan Cox, and James Rew making their debuts in a much-changed side.
“That was one of the first things I had to do as a captain,” Stokes said, when asked if he had apologised to his team-mates.
“You look at a situation and it affects more than just myself. It affected Joe, it affected the squad, it affects the people outside the playing environment.
“It no doubt had an effect on the lads who were making their debut. That should have been all about them but unfortunately a situation out of their control took precedence over their big day of making their debut for England in Test cricket.
“It would be stupid and naive for me not to acknowledge that and address that. And it’s something that you do have to do as someone who’s got the responsibility of being a leader within a group.
“It’s all fine and well everything being fine and dandy when it’s going well, but you need to take responsibility for things as well. If that’s you that needs to take that responsibility, you need to be big enough and man enough to be able to take that upon your shoulders, look everyone in the eye, and apologise how you need to apologise. That’s what I did.”
Tim Ream is the only player on the American World Cup team who was alive the last time the tournament was played in the U.S. But he was only 5, so the memories are kind of sketchy.
“I remember bits and pieces of 1994,” he said.
Still, it’s fallen on Ream, as both the captain and the oldest man on the roster, to prepare the team for what they’re about to experience when the U.S. opens play Friday at SoFi Stadium.
“I’ve tried to tell guys and tried to convey the message that this is a once-in-a-career [opportunity] and with that comes more expectation, more pressure,” he said. “But at the same time we have to enjoy it.
“It’s about just opening your eyes and taking everything in because this is unique, this is completely different from anything that any of us as players has experienced.”
Only 22 men in history have suited up for a home World Cup game on U.S. soil. Players including Alexi Lalas, Eric Wynalda, Cobi Jones and Marcelo Balboa parlayed that fame into broadcasting careers. Others have become coaches. Fifteen of them were inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
Ream, who played in the last World Cup in Qatar, said it’s difficult to compare the experience of that tournament with this one — especially since this one hasn’t started yet.
“It’s not our first rodeo, but it’s our first one on U.S. soil,” he said. “So it’s kind of our first rodeo in a way. It’s exciting.
“So take it in, enjoy it, embrace everything that it is. Because it’s so unique, it’s so special. And it’s not something that we will ever get to do again.”
Midfielder Cristian Roldan was also at the last World Cup, although he didn’t appear in a game. He says the energy is different this time around.
“You feel it when you’re there. You’re kind of isolated, you’re alone,” said Roldan, one of 13 players on this team who were also on the team in Qatar, half a world away. “But it’s different here. You see how many media members are here. You see how many people we’ve seen in training over the last few weeks. You feel that energy, you feel that support.
“Now it’s about translating that energy, that support, that pressure into something good.”
Goalkeeper Matt Turner agreed.
“This one, obviously, it’s a lot more tangible,” he told reporters Tuesday. “You guys are all here, right, real close to us. We have 5,000 fans for training yesterday. It’s very different. In Qatar, you’re in a lot more of a bubble.
“But us players, the ones that had the [World Cup] experiences, I think we’ve done a really good job of keeping that boundary.”
What’s lacking this time, Turner said, was the pressure of a qualifying campaign to bring the team together. Because the U.S. is one of the three host countries — alongside Mexico and Canada — it was assured a spot in 48-team field when it won the right to stage the tournament eight years ago. As a result it hasn’t played a competitive game in more than 11 months.
“The intensity of those games, the environments that you have to dip into and get results, you find out a lot about the players and find out a lot about the team,” he said. “This time around, it’s been different. We’ve had a lot of different looks, a lot of different players getting a chance to prove themselves and show themselves.
“It’s not anything bad or good. I just think it was a little bit different.”
Striker Folarin Balogun, one of 13 World Cup newbies on the U.S. team, said he doesn’t expect the gravity of the experience to hit him until he lines up for Friday’s opening game with Paraguay.
“It’s probably going to start to go more real to me when I’m preparing to go on to the pitch,” he said, sitting behind a table next to Ream. “I’m hearing the fans shouting and screaming, so I definitely think it’ll be real to me the closer I get.
“But you know, this is the first opportunity for me to play in the World Cup so I don’t really have any expectations.”
Balogun then looked over at a frowning Ream, who had just finished urging his teammates to be sure to stop and smell the flowers along this World Cup journey.
“Just trying to stay present, stay in the moment,” Balogun hastened to add. “You know, enjoying the experience. I think it can be a really memorable World Cup.”
