Root relishes challenge of aiding Yorkshire’s pursuit of one-day glory

ENGLAND Test captain Joe Root is relishing the chance of trying to help end Yorkshire’s long wait for success in the limited-overs game.

He is available for the Vikings’ first three North Group matches in the Royal London One-Day Cup, starting against Nottinghamshire Outlaws at Trent Bridge, but also Monday’s Roses game with Lancashire Lightning at Headingley.

For all Yorkshire have been County champions twice in the last three seasons, they have been beaten at the semi-final stage in each of the previous two years in the 50-overs game.

Indeed, they have not won a limited-overs piece of silverware since the C&G Trophy in 2002

“It’s the stuff that’s not quite happened for us for a while now,” admitted Root.

“You look at the squad of players we’ve got, and it’s a really exciting team with a lot of experience and good individual performances under our belts.

“When we’ve all played together, that’s shown in results. It’s just having that continuity of playing the same side.”

Root, 26, explained: “It’s quite a difficult balance to find when lads go away and play international cricket and then come back.

“It’s generally guys who’ve been performing well throughout the competition that either miss out or have to change their role in the team.

“That’s always been a challenge for us as a club, and it’s something we’re going to have to try to get right over the next few years.

“One of the challenges Andrew Gale and Gary Ballance have got is managing a squad that is full of international players that are going to miss games at certain points. There’s been a big push with white-ball cricket on the international scene, and I think you’ll see that more and more at this club as well.”

Root, Jonny Bairstow, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid and David Willey are all available for 50-over matches against Notts, Lancashire and at Worcestershire next Wednesday before England’s summer schedule begins next weekend with two one-day internationals against Ireland.

“That (availability) bodes really well, especially because it’s at the start of the campaign,” said Root, who scored only eight and two in his first county appearance of the season, the Championship draw against Hampshire last week.

“We can get a little bit of momentum, and hopefully if we can get the results we want, guys can play off the back of that confidence that’s been built within the squad and dressing room.”