NEWS
Follow UsJoe Root so far has played only three Indian Premier League games, a format where there is not so much of a place for an anchor, that too an overseas one at that. With Jos Buttler and Shimron Hetmyer being the first two choices without any deliberation, Rajasthan Royals have employed two overseas bowlers for the remaining two spots.
So much so that, in three games that Root has represented them this year, he didn’t get to bat in the first two games but struggled his way to a 15-ball 10 in an embarrassing loss to Royal Challengers Bangalore. That resulted in growing discontent in England for Root missing the Championship games for Yorkshire that could have been ideal preparation for the Ashes, which starts on June 16.
"It's quite easy, really," Root said, reported ESPN Cricinfo. "I'll start by saying I love playing for Yorkshire, and I love the County Championship. It's the bedrock of our game back in the UK and it's so influential in developing players.
"But for where I am within my game and my development, having an experience like this for the first time at 32 years old, I feel that's going to benefit me more in the long run than playing four Championship games where I might not learn too much about myself. Look at the fixtures: one of them's already been rained out, one was a rain-affected game and ended up a draw.
"Is that really going to ready me for an Ashes series? Or, by having these experiences here in India six months out from the World Cup, in these conditions, speaking to all these players, trying to learn as much as I can - mainly about T20 cricket, but also having good, strong conversations about the game in general - are they going to make me a better player? I think so.
"And I think that I'll come back ready and excited to dive back into Test cricket and ready for what's going to be an amazing summer of Ashes cricket. It wasn't something that I just did - I thought there was a real plus side to it, and that if I treated the experience in the right way, then I would come back in a really good place, with more knowledge and in a better position."
One of the greatest Test and ODI batters of all-time, Root could never lap onto the shortest format of the game, but as he repeatedly keep saying, he always loved to be around playing T20 cricket. He added that he has benefited greatly from being around the T20 cricket setup.
"I've benefited a huge amount from just being around T20 again. I'm trying to manage my game better in the format - trying to get a little bit less erratic, and a bit more thoughtful about how I want to go and construct an innings. You can't be formulaic in it, but you're still making sure that you're calculated in what you're doing.
"When you're not playing, it can be quite easy to sulk and moan and feel a little bit sorry for yourself. But at the end of the day, you've got an opportunity here for eight weeks to better yourself and better your game. It'd be silly not to use that opportunity and use the people and the resources around you,” Root added.
