Joe Root looking to improve power game ahead of big England summer

Joe Root told Sky Sports that he is looking to improve his power game in T20 after helping England to victory over Pakistan.

Root scored 47 from 42 deliveries from during England’s win in Cardiff on Sunday, missing out on a sixth T20I fifty after being caught behind attempting a scoop shot.

The England Test captain has played just 72 T20 matches in his career, a number dwarfed by the 249 and 268 played by team-mates Jos Buttler and Eoin Morgan respectively.

“It’s quite difficult with the lack of Twenty20 cricket I have played in the last couple of years. Ultimately, you are trying to fit your role and play your way in this team,” Root told Rob Key.

“I feel I complement guys pretty well, but I am looking for ways to score more quickly. Slowly but surely, I am trying to add to what I have got at the minute, maybe add a little bit more power.

“I feel I can play that role for guys to bat around, that I can take the pressure off and allow them to play their shots.

“The hard thing sometimes is that you want to go out there and do the same, tee off, but it’s knowing what your responsibility is within that team.

“Someone like Jos has a huge amount of experience in this format now, so is able to trust himself and have a really clear idea of what those areas are for him. For me, it’s slightly different.

“You are learning as you are going. Generally when I am playing Twenty20 cricket, it’s international Twenty20 cricket so you don’t have much time to work on it as you are tagging it on to one-day practice.

“I want to improve, it’s a format I love playing.”

England’s huge summer continues at The Oval on Wednesday with the first of five one-day internationals against Pakistan, a series that will be followed by the World Cup and Ashes.

Root says he will enjoy breaks when they come but is determined to play as full a part as possible, as England target a maiden global 50-over title before trying to regain the urn from Australia.

“There is a lot of cricket to come,” added the 28-year-old.

“I think it is important to make the most of your rest days, spend enough downtime with the family, and get away from it when you can. I guess that’s the advantage of having a World Cup in your own country.

“But I’m someone who loves playing cricket – I want to get the most out of myself while I can for as long as I can.

“There will be a point in the summer where I might have to be smart about how I go into practices, and make sure I am fresh and ready to go when it really counts at the backend of things.

“Ultimately, I am so lucky to be in this position playing for England. With the summer we have got, I just want to be involved as much as I can, scoring runs and seeing us win games of cricket.”

Watch the first one-day international between England and Pakistan at The Oval from 12.30pm, Wednesday on Sky Sports Cricket.

(c) Sky News 2019: Joe Root looking to improve power game ahead of big England summer