BURNING AMBITION
Root makes white-ball return but admits winning back Ashes is never far from his thoughts
JOE ROOT returns to one-day action under Eoin Morgan today, but admits his mind has been racing with thoughts about how to win back the Ashes next year.
It is only to be expected the Test captain has an eye on the red-ball challenges that lie ahead, and just as Morgan’s biggest prize will be at the back end of 2021 with the T20 World Cup, so too is Root’s with the Aussies.
The England Test skipper is expecting to take a much stronger squad to try to regain the urn, one that includes Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer, who have been rested from this one-day series with the future in mind.
“I’ve thought plenty about the Ashes,” Root admitted under the gaze of Table Mountain with England preparing for the First ODI against South Africa.
“There’s no point hiding from it or trying to make it look like we’re not focused heavily on it, because we are.
“A lot of thought and planning has gone into things. But it doesn’t mean we’re not looking into what’s coming up.
“A n d wh i l e they’re not similar conditions, some of the challenges we’ll face this winter will stand us in good stead when it comes to walking out at the Gabba.
“Guys will be readying themselves for that, the opportunity of a lifetime. We have a good chance to build up for it. There’s no excuses this time. Get it right and we could be in a really strong place going out there.”
Root ( below) has spent more than 11 weeks without taking the field for England, which should help gird him for a huge year of cricket.
He has 17 Tests to play which means he is unlikely to be seen in the powder blue of England’s one-day team too often, and certainly not in the flame red of the T20 side either.
Root sti l l harbours ambitions in all three formats, but with Dawid Malan cementing his credentials game after game, it could suit the Test side to see their captain strongly focused on his red-ball game.
At 29, Root has another 50over World Cup in him, but he has made the conscious decision to stay true to his strengths of timing, placement and class against the best bowlers rather than chasing the power of the T20 hitters.
He is yet to register a hundred in any format for England this year, and would surely like to correct that in one of these last three games against the Proteas.
“I think for a while I got distracted trying to bat like the other guys and it doesn’t suit the way I play,” he added.
“I still feel I can score quickly in a manner that suits my game best.
“In the last year I’ve not hit my straps the way I’d like to – in Test cricket in particular – but having had this break, I’ve looked at a number of things to change and work on.”