ROOT: NO QUICK FIX
Axe won’t affect Joe
JOE ROOT won’t change his approach to 50-overs whiteball cricket in an attempt to force selectors’ hands on his T20 future.
England’s Test captain was dropped for the final T20 against India in Bristol on Sunday.
But ahead of today’s ODI series opener against India at Trent Bridge Root insists it is important he does not go searching for boundaries in an effort to regain his place.
He said: “You’ve got to always try to stay true to yourself. There’s always an element of trying to expand your game and develop certain areas.
Strong
“But ultimately you have to play the situation laid out in front of you.” Root’s T20 efforts this summer against Australia and India of 35, 0 and 9 were clearly not enough to keep him in the side.
But with England duty coming first for Root, the opportunities to develop his T20 experience in domestic leagues around the world have been severely limited.
“I fully understood the decision,” he said. “It can’t have been an easy one for them but that is part and parcel of having a really strong squad.
“I want to see us being as complete a side as possible in all three competitions, but I do want to be a part of them.”
Ben Stokes is set to replace Alex Hales after he came through a bowling fitness test yesterday and Root added: “It is great to see Stokes back to somewhere near fully fit.”