Joe Root has been given food for thought by Jofra Archer’s impressive contribution to England’s T20 victory against Pakistan in Cardiff on Sunday.
While the immediate aim for both players is to focus on the World Cup – Archer will further press his claims for inclusion in England’s final 15-man squad during the ODI series against Pakistan that begins on Wednesday – as Test captain, Root is bound to spend time formulating England’s Ashes campaign later this summer.
“We will see the more he plays,” said Root of Archer’s Ashes potential after Sunday’s game in which the 24-year-old took two wickets. “I’ve not had the chance to face him in the nets, which could be interesting. He hurried a few guys up in Cardiff.”
Root will not be the first Test captain to be compelled to face pace bowlers determined to bowl at their fastest in the nets. One of the most taxing demands for Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards when they were leading the West Indies is that they had to face all six contenders for the four bowling berths in the nets on a regular basis. Every one of those fast bowlers would be keen to impress the West Indies captain with their pace. There were no gentle half-volleys to tap back and no umpires to keep the front foot behind the line. By the same token we would expect Archer to strive for maximum pace in the nets whenever Root is at the other end this May.
“You could see the value of what he could bring to a side, that extra bit of zip,” Root added. “He makes things happen, which is a brilliant quality to have. It’s exciting to see another option to add to what is a growing bowling group. We have the experience of the senior men and guys like Woody [Mark Wood] putting in a performance in that last Test match [in St Lucia]. It is great to have different options.”
Even though the Cardiff match may have been England’s least significant contest of the summer, there was a hint of relief in Root’s reaction to the victory. He rarely gets to play much T20 cricket though he has always been keen to remain a “three format” cricketer. And he can play T20 well enough even though it is not second nature for him to wallop the ball over the boundary.
“It was about us finding a way of winning without a normal-looking T20 side and I thought it was a fantastic effort from the group to win,” he said. Root recognises that the serious cricket is to come. “It’s a huge summer and it’s important to make sure we manage our time wisely but while I’m still enthusiastic about every format I want to harness every opportunity to play.”
Until the end of July, Root can enjoy being one of the boys, albeit a senior, rock-solid support for captain Eoin Morgan and vice-captain Jos Buttler.
He knows that his main function at the moment is to be the glue in the middle order of England’s one-day side while continuing to plan for the series against Australia when he resumes leadership of the players. “I’m looking at everyone with an eye on the Ashes, anyone that is in the shake up. Subconsciously you are always looking at county cricket, around the squad, who is in good form, who could potentially be a good option for the Ashes. But I’ll try not to be too emotional about it and make sure that my main focus is on preparing well and being ready for the World Cup.”
For someone of Root’s standing, a handy 47 in a T20 match in Cardiff is not an innings of great import, just a minor, reassuring step in the right direction. “I feel pretty good at the moment,” he says, “but it’s all about performing under pressure when the World Cup starts.”
