The Independent Voice of West Indies Cricket

Joe Root on T20 cricket

imusic 2/3/25, 8:43:43 PM
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debut: 11/13/02
79,682 runs

A rare January off for England's Test side, and the promise of a summer in Paarl, known for its wineries and golf courses, called Root to the SA20, where he has rediscovered his short-format game. After the eight matches he played, Root was the tournament's third-highest run-scorer, and he has been among the most successful opening pairs of the group stage, by runs and average, with 18-year old Lhuan-dre Pretorius.

Watching them together has been the perfect mix of yin and yang. At first Root let Pretorius play with the freedom that comes with being a surprise factor, but as the games went on and the opposition became more familiar with the youngster, Root showed the value of his experience. His match-winning 92 not out in the tournament's highest successful chase was also his joint career best and a masterclass in pacing an innings.

"You need big partnerships when you're chasing big scores like that, but ultimately it's about staying calm and understanding by breaking it down what it's going to look like," he says. "I haven't actually played a lot, so it's been a case of trying to recall the things that you've done well and trying to do them as consistently as possible, but also understanding that your game evolves. The T20 format has also evolved a lot but you're playing the game of cricket and it's about problem-solving, just on a much quicker scale than what I've been doing the majority of the time."


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