England’s Joe Root during the ODI match against New Zealand at Lord’s cricket ground in London, on September 15, 2023.
| Photo Credit: AP
England batter Joe Root is counting on his squad to draw from the lessons they learned in the 2019 World Cup as the Three Lions look to defend their title in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India later this year.
When England travels to India for this year’s 50-over competition, they have a chance to become just the third team to win back-to-back championships. Root was a member of the successful England team that raised their first World Cup trophy at home four years ago.
Root is hoping he can repeat that triumph in India in November since he still vividly recalls the dramatic Super Over match that took place in the World Cup final at Lord’s in 2019.
“Having the experience of 2019 and how good that was and how much that meant to the group and for them to go out and get the opportunity to defend it is something we are relishing and really looking forward to,” Root was quoted as saying by ICC.
“We are going to have to play some really good cricket, we are going to have to adapt to different conditions and have that consistency that you need so we will see how we go,” he added.
For the six-week competition, England is one of the countries that has already announced a preliminary squad. The defending champions revealed a few shocks in their initial group by leaving out rookie batter Harry Brook and selecting uncapped bowler Gus Atkinson.
Root is confident in the team put together to carry out the tasks for England throughout the World Cup and is aware that his team must play its best cricket in the decisive stage of the competition.
“It is very exciting to play in a World Cup event is something that you always look forward to as a player. Big tournaments and big moments is where you want to go out and perform and impress and deliver for your country. You have to get to those last two games – the semi-final and the final – and it is about turning up and putting in the performance when it really counts,” Root said.
And it should come as no surprise that Root named two of his teammates as the most likely candidates to be the top run scorer and wicket-taker in the keenly anticipated competition that starts on October 5.
“I am going to go for Jonny Bairstow (to be the leading run-scorer). He is someone that always has a point to prove, he is a wonderful white-ball player and he has been so consistent for us at the top of the order,” Root suggested.
Root expects conditions teams will face in India will suit the slower bowlers and believes Adil Rashid can thrive by being the leading wicket-taker.
“He (Rashid) has so many different skills and variations to call upon. We know how important it is to take wickets in the middle overs…he has done a wonderful job for us for a long time and I anticipate him being very difficult on these wickets,” Root added.