Yorkshire face delicate juggling act with internationals, claims Root

JOE ROOT is determined to help kick-start Yorkshire’s bid for oneday silverware.

The England captain is available for Yorkshire’s first three games in the Royal London Cup along with international team-mates Jonny Bairstow and Adil Rashid.

The trio can play against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge (April 29), Lancashire at Headingley (May 1) and Durham at Headingley (May 3).

Root and Bairstow are also available for the County Championship match against Hampshire at Southampton (April 21-24) along with Rashid, who can also feature in the Championship game at Warwickshire over Easter.

Although Root has his hands full at present with the Test captaincy and a busy period of international cricket, he knows what one-day success would mean to Yorkshire, who have gone 15 years without a one-day trophy.

“The one-day stuff has not quite happened for us for some time now,” he said.

“When you look at the players we’ve got when we’ve got a full side out, it is a really exciting team with a lot of experience and good performances under our belts individually.

“When we’ve all played together, that has shown in the results. But it is that continuity of playing the same side, and it is quite a difficult balance when lads go away to play international cricket and come back.

“It is generally guys who have been playing well throughout the competition that either miss out or have to change their spot in the order or their role in the team.

“That is something I think we’ve always found as a challenge for the club, and something that we’re going to have to try and get right over the next few years.

“One of the challenges that Galey (coach Andrew Gale) and Gary (captain Gary Ballance) have got is managing a squad that is full of international players that are going to miss games at certain points.”

Root believes Yorkshire’s international stars can help generate early momentum and said that he would love to play in a Lord’s final.

“That would be great, absolutely brilliant. I love coming back and playing for Yorkshire, and I’d love the opportunity to do that (play in a Lord’s final).

“There’s obviously been a big push with white-ball cricket on the international scene, and I see that more and more at this club too.”