Root is backing ‘thinker’ Ballance to lead from front in trophy quest
JOE Root admits he can’t wait to get to work under new county skipper Gary Ballance as Yorkshire gear up for their opener against Hampshire today.
The pair face significant challenges, with new responsibilities entrusted on them by club and country.
Root and Ballance rose through the county ranks together and have made compiled some memorable stands in both domestic and international cricket.
And although Root and Jonny Bairstow will miss Yorkshire’s opener, the White Rose County start the fourday campaign as one of the favourites, bidding to lift their third title in four years.
Root said: “I’m looking forward to working under Gaz (Ballance) because he’s a natural leader.
“I’ve heard people saying he’s quite softly spoken but he leads by example and when he does speak he everybody listens.
“He’ll do a fantastic job. He thinks deeply about the game and whenever we’ve been away with England or Yorkshire he talks well about the game and comes up with good suggestions.
“That bodes well for Yorkshire and I think as a club we want to be challenging on all fronts.”
Ballance will have to cope with several members of his squad being unavailable due to international commitments, which will inevitably cause some tough selection headaches.
Root added: “It’s a difficult balance when guys go away and then come back because generally it’s guys who’ve been playing well who tend to miss out or have to change their role in the team.”
Hampshire will hope to improve on two Championship victories last season, when they were only reprieved thanks to Durham’s financial plight.
The county will be hoping for a standout season from young leg-spinner Mason Crane after the 20-year-old became the first overseas player since Imran Khan in 1984 to represent New South Wales last month.
Despite his rapid rise at such a young age and there being talk of him being a potential option for England in this winter’s Ashes, Crane insists he is concentrating on county cricket first and foremost.
“Bowling leg spin isn’t the easiest of arts. I’ve still got a long way to go before anything like that (an England call-up) happens,” said Crane.
“Right now I’m just thinking of a way to try to get in the Hampshire side. It’s been a great winter for me and, hopefully, I can continue that on into this season.
“I’ve been working hard on the mental side of my game.
“It’s about thinking batsmen out as well as actually bowling the balls, being a more intelligent bowler and working out what I can and can’t do.”