No Hard Feelings for IPL Snub: Joe Root

England test captain Joe Root was supposed to be a high-profile inclusion in the 2018 IPL auction. Surprisingly, he went unsold in his very first auction. However, he is not harbouring any ill feeling about his exclusion. Instead, he believes that the IPL will pay huge dividends for his team mates.

The 27-year-old led England on a tough Australia tour, where they were thrashed 4-o, followed by a test series loss to New Zealand last month.

“It’s not frustration watching the other guys,” Root said.

“… I went into the IPL auction to get a bit more exposure to T20 cricket, it didn’t materialise, it would have been nice to be involved in that but I’ve got no bitter feelings towards the other guys, I think it’s great.”

Joe Root is currently supporting his England team mates, Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler and believes their experience would only strengthen the team.

“They’ll benefit hugely from it and we, as a side, will benefit hugely from it. Look at the way Jos and Ben and a few guys came back from it last year and what it has brought to their games…” Root said.

“Hopefully that can happen on a wider scale with more and more players going out there from English cricket, playing under scrutiny and in the high-pressure situations that that tournament brings, it can only be a good thing for us in the long term.”

Joe Root has a year of captaincy under his belt and is predicting significant changes to his team. This will be needed, especially after the dismal results in the last few months.

“Looking forward, there will be changes, especially long-term and then it is up to guys to come in and take the opportunities,” Root said.

“… I want us to keep searching for ways to be a really effective side in a number of different conditions.”