ROOT: I’LL FIGHT FOR T20 SPOT
JOE ROOT has pledged to work on his power- hitting in a bid to remain part of England’s Twenty20 plans, insisting: ‘I still think I can offer something to the team.’
Sportsmail revealed last week that England may ease their recently crowned Test captain out of the 20-over side — partly to allow him to focus on his new job and partly because he lacks the rope- clearing prowess of some of his colleagues.
But, with the next World Twenty20 tournament still three years away, Root is determined to fight for his place.
‘Obviously if they don’t feel the way I play fits into how they want to play Twenty20 moving forward, then I’ll have to work on my game and make sure I’m able to do that,’ he said.
‘ I will continue to look to improve that side of my cricket. There are definitely areas I will continue to work on in terms of power and clearing the ropes.
‘But over a relatively short international career I’ve found ways of adapting and develop- ing different ways of scoring runs quickly. I don’t see why I won’t be able to do it in the future as well. I’ll definitely be available to play. I don’t want to end up not playing Twenty20 cricket.’
Talk of leaving Root out of the Twenty20 side may feel counter-intuitive. He is ranked fourth in the world in the format, and the only other England batsman in the top 10 is Alex Hales, whose 20- over place is also under threat. But such is the glut of sixhitting batsmen in the English game that the management are keen to stack their top order with brute strength. Both Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes are keen to open in the format.
Among the eight batsmen who regularly feature in England’s Twenty20 side, Root has the worst balls- per- six ratio, clearing the ropes once every 34 deliveries during the course of his international career.
Moeen Ali is next with 29, followed by Hales on 25. But five other players are in a different league — captain Eoin Morgan, Jason Roy, Sam Billings, Buttler and Stokes all hit a six in Twenty20 internationals once every 14 to 17 balls.
Root, though, has been adding an unexpected string to his bow, claiming five wickets during the two 50- over victories against Ireland with his off- breaks, which leaves open the possibility that he can be England’s second spinner during next month’s Champions Trophy. ‘It could be an option,’ he said. ‘If I can play that role, hopefully it gives us a bit more strength in other departments.’
Meanwhile, Billings will not return to the Indian Premier League as planned, because Delhi Daredevils are unable to qualify for the later stages of the tournament. The 25-yearold scored 138 runs in his six innings for the side. Joe Root was speaking at the launch of NatWest’s ‘Cricket Has No Boundaries’ campaign, which celebrates the sport’s inclusivity. Find out more at natwest.com/cricket #NoBoundaries