Joe Root on ironing out kinks
Cricketers have never quite had such a prolonged break from the sport, and to some, like English Test captain Joe Root, the layo was an opportunity to tie up loose ends.
Anew chapter will be added to cricket history on July ■ when England takes on the West Indies in the rst of a threematch Test series behind closed doors at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton.
Hampshire’s Ageas Bowl and Manchester’s Old Traord are the two grounds that have been turned into biosecure zones as international cricket eyes a return for the rst time since March, when all action was shut down because of the crippling COVID19 crisis.
For the players, it has been a novel experience. They’ve never quite had such a prolonged break from the sport, and to some, like English Test captain Joe Root, the layo was an opportunity to tie up loose ends.
“It is a chance that you don’t often get in international cricket where you have an extended period of time to work on certain
The International Cricket Council’s interim rule changes will come into eect with the rst Test in Southampton. One of the singlemost talked about rules has been the ban on use of saliva to shine the ball. Root said the temporary restriction might favour the batsmen, while allaying concerns that it could lead to a lopsided advantage. “I don’t think it’ll change a huge amount here... It depends on the conditions... If it’s a bit more overcast — there hasn’t been much cricket played — the squares and outeld should be lush. The damage to the Dukes ball doesn’t take eect till about 50 overs... It should swing consistently anyway... They stay harder than the Kookaburra balls and swing consistently longer.
“I can’t see the saliva ban having as much of an impact at the start of the summer. I think as the summer goes on, if we get good weather and the square becomes a little more abrasive, the reverse swing may play a part. The batsmen will have to be managed well by both sides.” do a really good job.
“He trains as hard as anyone else in the squad and he sets the examples... That’s a great quality to have. You see some of the other leaders around the world who do exactly that, Virat (Kohli) being one...goes out there, performs and expects everyone else within the team to do the same... I imagine that’s how Ben will go about his business.”
“...He is already a big leader in the team as vicecaptain and it will be an opportunity for him to show everyone the leadership qualities we as a side already know he has... There is a huge amount of respect for him. He has accomplished so much in the game and within Test cricket.”