Joe Root remains confident he can carve out a future as a T20 player despite being dropped from the England side.
Root, England’s Test captain, was the man to make way from the England T20I team in Bristol on Sunday once the return of Ben Stokes was confirmed, but insists he has no fears that his career in that format could be over.
“I’m fully confident in the ability I have in that format,” Root said. “I’ve proven in the past that I can perform in T20 cricket. I don’t see it as a closed door for me at all. I’ve got to make sure I keep putting the work in and those limited opportunities I do get, keep trying to perform, keep my name as current as I can in that format.
“I don’t have any fears about it. I want to see us being as complete a side as possible in all three competitions, but I want to be a part of them.”
Part of Root’s problem is that, as a key part of England’s Test and ODI side, he has little time to appear in the domestic T20 leagues that might provide him with greater experience. But while he accepts that is an issue, he is adamant that his priority remains England’s fortunes in the 2019 World Cup and Test cricket.
“It would be nice [to play in various domestic T20 tournaments],” Root said. “You see guys come back from those tournaments with a huge amount of experience and a rounded way of looking at the game; a different take on certain aspects.
“Until there’s a really good block for me to go and play T20 cricket somewhere in a domestic tournament, it’s going to be hard for me to get a string of games together and really put that case across. If something fits into place, fantastic, but if not, I’ll find a way. I feel like I’m an experienced enough player now at international cricket to be able to do that.
“Ultimately it’s got to fit around playing for England. The priorities at the minute have got to be that white-ball World Cup next year and as Test captain, we’ve got some big series coming up and the Ashes next summer.
“So whether it’s making sure I get enough rest, or if there are international games throughout those tournaments, I’m going to have to miss out. Playing for England comes first.”
Source: ESPN Crickinfo