Cricket latest
On 30 December, Joe Root celebrates another milestone, and it feels fitting because his career has been one long sequence of them. Born in Sheffield (30/12/1990), Root has grown into England’s modern batting reference point: a player trusted to “hold” an innings, but capable of accelerating it without drama, and to do it in every condition, against every attack. Even in an era dominated by power and pace, Root’s greatness has been built on something rarer: repeatable excellence.
Cricket latest From Sheffield to Yorkshire: the making of a top-order technician
Root’s cricketing education came through Yorkshire, a pathway known for hard pitches, competitive dressing rooms, and an emphasis on discipline. His rise wasn’t built on hype alone; it was built on volume: runs in county cricket, temperament in pressure games, and the kind of tidy technique that translates across formats.
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By the time England handed him an international debut in 2012, he already looked like the sort of batter who could survive the tough first hour and still be batting when the bowlers are tired. That base, strong defence, late hands, soft edges, became the platform for everything that followed.
Cricket latest The England debut years: adaptability became his superpower
Root debuted in Tests in 2012, and over the next few seasons, he did the hardest thing in international batting: he kept improving while opponents kept adjusting. He moved around the order, played multiple roles, and still became England’s most reliable run source. Crucially, he wasn’t just a “good conditions” scorer. His game travelled, and that’s why, year after year, England kept returning to Root as the one constant in changing line-ups.
Cricket latest Captain Root: leading through transition (and turbulence)
When Root became England’s Test captain in 2017, he inherited a side in transition. The job demanded strategy, man-management, and media responsibility, while also being England’s best batter. His captaincy record is one of extremes: a strong number of wins, but also heavy defeats, especially in difficult overseas stretches. Root ultimately captained England in 64 Tests, which stands among the highest totals in Test history and is England’s record.
By April 2022, Root stepped down, ending an era where he often carried both the batting expectations and the leadership burden at the same time.
Cricket latest The 10,000-run moment, and what it really signified
In June 2022, Root reached 10,000 Test runs, a landmark that traditionally separates great careers from legendary ones. He reached the milestone in his 218th Test innings, a pace achieved by only a small group in the game’s history. But the deeper significance wasn’t just the number. It was the method: not a short peak, not one dominant stretch, but a decade of elite output.
Cricket latest 2021: the peak season that reminded everyone who he was
If one year best captures Root’s range, it’s 2021. The ICC named Root the Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year (2021) after he scored 1708 Test runs in 15 matches, including six centuries, one of the most prolific Test years ever recorded. This wasn’t just “form.” It was mastery: the sweep and reverse-sweep used with judgement, soft hands that killed movement, and the ability to score freely without taking reckless risks.
Cricket latest White-ball legacy: World Cup glue, not just highlight reels
Root’s ODI career often gets described in quiet terms, “anchor”, “stability”, “accumulator”, but those labels miss his real value: he gave England shape. At the 2019 Cricket World Cup, Root was named in the ICC’s Team of the Tournament, finishing with 556 runs in 11 innings. In England’s power-packed line-ups, Root often played the role that makes power possible: rotating strike, absorbing pressure, and letting hitters attack from the other end.
Even deep into his career, Root remains central to England’s Test story. In the 2025 Ashes, he was still speaking as a senior leader after England ended a long drought with a dramatic win in Melbourne, a reminder that, as teams evolve, Root’s presence remains a stabiliser.
Cricket latest Joe Root’s career stats
Tests: 162 matches, 13,777 runs, average 50.83, 40 centuries/66 fifties, HS 262; 73 wickets; 216 catches
ODIs: 186 matches, 7,330 runs, average 48.54, 19 centuries/43 fifties, HS 166*; 28 wickets; 89 catches
T20I: 32 matches, 893 runs, average 35.72, 5 fifties; 6 wickets; 18 catches
Closing thought
If batting greatness has different styles, power, flair, and dominance, Root’s version is endurance plus elegance. He has made a career out of being the player England relies on when conditions bite, when series swing, and when reputations are tested.
Happy Birthday, Joe Root, still the benchmark, still writing numbers that will outlast the era.
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