BATSMEN BATTLE DROP
The England Test captain told selectors he believes he could do a job in the shortest format with the World T20 in India next October in his sights.
But after leaving him out of a 14-man squad to face Australia in three T20s, they made it clear he was not in their best XI.
With near perfect timing Root has been in the runs for Yorkshire, hitting 64 on Sunday and 65 yesterday in the Vitality T20 Blast.
Sources close to the player insist he has not given up on making selectors change their minds before the winter.
But the chief selector Ed Smith said: “At the moment we are setting up in a particular way as an XI in T20 cricket.
“Joe is not in that and it is not right to have him in the squad if he is not likely to be starting.
“That could easily change because Joe is exceptionally adaptable. He could easily come back into the reckoning.”
If the door remains ajar for Root, it appears to have slammed in David Willey’s face for the second time in
DAWID MALAN and Tom Banton will renew their fight to become England’s firstchoice batting back-up when they face Pakistan at Old Trafford tonight.
Captain Eoin Morgan is set to name an unchanged side for the of having strength in depth. He played well against Ireland and the decision is not an easy one and he is extremely disappointed.”
Willey (left), replaced by Sam Curran in both squads, has every right to be disappointed given that others who are out of form have been spared.
Jason Roy, who pulled out of the three-match series against Pakistan with a side strain, will not be ready for the T20s, but is hopeful of returning for the ODIs, while Ben Stokes remains on compassionate leave in New Zealand. third and final T20 international. But with Jos Buttler ready to return for the three-match T20 series against Australia, one of the two will drop to the bench. Jason Roy is still nursing a side strain but, in Banton (above) and Malan, Morgan believes he has two players who can step into any position in the top three.
“It’s great to see them both coming in and scoring runs, Tom more so,” said Morgan. “The way he played was the way we see him in a Somerset shirt, and Dawid’s just continued to score runs at a rate.”