Joe Root has not taken being dropped for England’s 3rd T20I against India as a sign that his international T20 career is under threat.
Root, who is England’s Test captain and a core part of their 50-over side going into the World Cup, has struggled to find time to hone his game in the shortest form. But he remains firm in his belief that he can be a star man in the red kit for England.
When asked about how he felt regarding being dropped to allow for the inclusion of Ben Stokes, Root said: “I’m fully confident in the ability I have in that format”, adding “I’ve proven in the past that I can perform in T20 cricket. I don’t see it as a closed door for me. 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.”
Perhaps the biggest obstacle Root has to overcome is finding time to get a solid stint in a domestic T20 tournament so that he can improve the aspects of his game that are unique to T20 cricket. “It would be nice [to play in domestic T20 tournaments worldwide],” he 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.
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“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. Playing for England comes first.”
