No doors closed to Joe Root, says Ed Smith despite absence from T20 squad

Root last played the shortest format of the game for his country in May 2019 against Pakistan, a month before the 50-over World Cup started

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Ed Smith has refused to close the door on Joe Root’s future in T20I cricket, despite England’s Test captain being left out of Eoin Morgan’s squad for the upcoming three-match series against Australia.

Root last played the shortest format of the game for his country in May 2019 against Pakistan, a month before the 50-over World Cup started.

However, since the conclusion of England’s Test series against Pakistan, Root has returned to county cricket, playing in the T20 Blast for Yorkshire, where he has made consecutive half centuries against Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

Those two appearances are only his second and third in the competition since 2016, when he took part in Yorkshire’s defeat against Durham on Finals Day. He then had to wait two years for a Roses clash in 2018.

Since then, he has played just 13 T20 matches: four for England, seven during a difficult spell with Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash and these two games in the T20 Blast.

“I don't think any door is closed to Joe Root. He’s a brilliant cricketer, outstanding man, he’s also England’s Test captain,” said Smith, the national selector.

“At the moment, we are setting up in a particular way as an eleven in T20 cricket. Joe is not in that, and then the decision moves towards: ‘Well, if he’s not in that starting eleven at the moment – although no doors are closed to him in the future and that could easily change, where is the right place for Joe?’

“He plays so much cricket, he gives so much to England every time he plays. The decision is that it’s not right for him that we have him in the squad if he’s not likely to be starting, so he’s not in the squad for the T20s.

“Moving forward, that could easily change. I think we’ve all seen that Joe’s an exceptionally adaptable and outstanding batsman. He could easily come back into the reckoning, but at the moment that’s where it sits.”

^{Root last played a T20I for England in May 2019}

Root played a key role in England’s run to the World T20 final in 2016, but has since seen himself overtaken, with a plethora of top order options at Chris Silverwood’s disposal.

In Root’s absence, Dawid Malan has scored consistent runs when given the opportunity, while the temptation to shift Jos Buttler to the top of the innings has meant that one of Jason Roy or Jonny Bairstow could then be forced to bat elsewhere.

The emergence of Tom Banton has given England another possibility, as well as the form in franchise tournaments of Liam Livingstone and Phil Salt – not to mention Alex Hales, who remains a notable exclusion from England’s white-ball squads.

The inclusion of Joe Denly, however, suggests that there could still be space for a player like Root – a more classical top order batsman and useful part-time spinner.

Ben Stokes is another who has, at times, been touted as the kind of player capable of fulfilling the No.3 position in T20Is. Smith confirmed, however, that the allrounder “wasn’t considered for selection” for the upcoming series.

Stokes missed the final two Tests of the series against Pakistan and the subsequent T20I series to visit his family in New Zealand, where his father is fighting cancer.

Jason Roy, meanwhile, has been left out of the T20I series as a result of an ongoing side strain that he picked up ahead of the white-ball leg of the Pakistan series. It is hoped that he might still return in time to face Australia in the ODIs that follow.

“Jason’s record speaks for itself – not just his performances but also the manner in which he plays and the aura he has at the crease. A fit and firing Jason Roy is of course an asset to England’s white-ball cricket,” Smith added.

^{David Willey took a five-wicket haul in the first ODI of England's summer against Ireland}

There was also no space for David Willey in either of England’s squads, despite the left-armer winning the man of the series award for his performances against Ireland.

England have gone three T20Is now without taking a wicket in the powerplay – one of Willey’s major strengths with his ability to swing the white ball early on.

With Jofra Archer, Mark Wood and Sam Curran all returning to the T20I fold after Test duty, though, Willey has been left out.

“The fact is with David is that we are preferring some other people to him, and that’s a very difficult decision,” Smith explained.

“It’s, of course, very disappointing from David’s point of view, who’s playing good cricket and still has ambitions to be in all the England white-ball sides. That’s one of the unfortunate consequences of having a lot of strength in depth.

“We work hard on trying to establish strength in depth but the downside from an individual point of view is that sometimes players who have done well still can’t find a place in the squad, and that’s the situation with David.

“Everything he achieved against Ireland have been noted, his performances over a number of years are well understood by the selectors, but in this instance we are giving opportunities to other people.

“I spoke to David today. He’s an outstanding man; I’ve had a number of difficult conversations with David from a decision point of view in that I’ve been communicating difficult decisions.

“Last summer before the World Cup was one example. This is another example. He played well against Ireland, he is playing well. The decision is not an easy one and he’s disappointed, but what you always get with David is an extremely dignified and outstanding man. It was a very honest conversation.”

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