Joe Root Biography: England Cricket Star
Joe Root
England
Player Information
Biography
Joe Root, born on December 30, 1990, in Sheffield, Yorkshire, has established himself as one of the finest batsmen of his generation and a cornerstone of the England cricket team across all formats. Root’s journey in cricket began at an early age, playing for Sheffield Collegiate CC, the same club where former England captain Michael Vaughan played.
Root made his first-class debut for Yorkshire in 2010 and quickly impressed with his technical proficiency and calm demeanor at the crease. His consistent performances in domestic cricket earned him a call-up to the England national team, making his Test debut against India in Nagpur in 2012.
Known for his elegant strokeplay, adaptability, and ability to anchor innings, Root has been a prolific run-scorer for England. He became the quickest English batsman to reach 3,000, 4,000, and 5,000 Test runs. Root’s leadership qualities led to his appointment as England’s Test captain in 2017, a role he held until 2022, during which he became England’s most successful Test captain in terms of matches won.
Throughout his career, Root has demonstrated remarkable consistency across all formats of the game. He has been particularly dominant in Test cricket, where he is considered one of the ‘Fab Four’ alongside Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, and Kane Williamson. His ability to convert starts into big scores and his proficiency against both pace and spin have made him a vital asset to the England team.
Off the field, Root is known for his sportsmanship and has been a vocal advocate for inclusivity in cricket. He has been involved in various charitable initiatives and has used his platform to raise awareness about important social issues.
Career Statistics
Batting and Fielding Stats
| Format | M | Inn | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s | Ct | St |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 134 | 247 | 17 | 11416 | 254 | 49.63 | 20953 | 54.48 | 30 | 61 | 1255 | 43 | 175 | 0 |
| ODIs | 158 | 151 | 23 | 6522 | 133* | 50.95 | 7304 | 89.29 | 16 | 36 | 551 | 45 | 81 | 0 |
| T20Is | 32 | 30 | 4 | 893 | 90* | 34.34 | 679 | 131.51 | 0 | 5 | 90 | 24 | 22 | 0 |
| FC | 246 | 428 | 41 | 19211 | 254 | 49.64 | – | – | 51 | 93 | – | – | 290 | 0 |
| List A | 211 | 201 | 31 | 8327 | 133* | 48.98 | 9359 | 89.02 | 20 | 47 | – | – | 101 | 0 |
| T20s | 110 | 105 | 15 | 2853 | 92* | 31.70 | 2196 | 129.91 | 0 | 17 | 275 | 65 | 53 | 0 |
Bowling Stats
| Format | M | Inn | B | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 5w | 10w |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 134 | 95 | 2720 | 1493 | 50 | 5/8 | 5/8 | 29.86 | 3.29 | 54.4 | 1 | 0 |
| ODIs | 158 | 57 | 1138 | 1000 | 27 | 3/52 | 3/52 | 37.03 | 5.27 | 42.1 | 0 | 0 |
| T20Is | 32 | 7 | 84 | 119 | 6 | 2/9 | 2/9 | 19.83 | 8.50 | 14.0 | 0 | 0 |
| FC | 246 | – | 6644 | 3453 | 94 | 5/8 | – | 36.73 | 3.11 | 70.6 | 1 | 0 |
| List A | 211 | – | 1796 | 1563 | 47 | 3/52 | 3/52 | 33.25 | 5.22 | 38.2 | 0 | 0 |
| T20s | 110 | 27 | 300 | 400 | 17 | 2/9 | 2/9 | 23.52 | 8.00 | 17.6 | 0 | 0 |
Career Highlights
- Youngest English player to score 5,000 Test runs (26 years and 217 days)
- Fastest English player to reach 6,000 Test runs (in terms of time)
- England’s most successful Test captain with 27 wins
- Player of the Series in the 2015 Ashes
- ICC Test Cricketer of the Year (2021)
- Wisden Cricketer of the Year (2014)
- England’s leading run-scorer in T20 World Cup history
- Second-fastest to 14 ODI centuries (only behind Hashim Amla)
- Joint-fastest to 6,000 ODI runs for England (alongside Eoin Morgan)
- Scored a century in his 100th Test match (218 vs India, 2021)
- Highest individual score by an England captain (254 vs Pakistan, 2020)
- Most Test runs in a calendar year by an Englishman (1,708 in 2021)
Records
- Only player to score a double century in his 100th Test match (218 vs India, 2021)
- Highest partnership for any wicket in Tests for England (359 with Ben Stokes vs South Africa, 2016)
- Most runs by an England batsman in a Test series in India (533 in 2021)
- Fastest to 8,000 Test runs for England (in terms of innings)
- Most Test centuries by an England captain (14)
- Highest individual score in a day/night Test (228 vs Sri Lanka, 2021)
Recent Performances
In the 2023 Ashes series, Joe Root continued to showcase his class:
- Scored a crucial 118* in the first Test at Edgbaston
- Maintained a series average of 55.00, scoring 330 runs in 5 matches
- Played a key role in England’s aggressive “Bazball” approach, adapting his game to the team’s new philosophy
- Contributed with both bat and ball, taking 3 wickets in the series
Awards and Accolades
- ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year (2021)
- England Test Cricketer of the Year (2015, 2016, 2021)
- England Limited-Overs Cricketer of the Year (2015)
- ICC Test Team of the Year (2014, 2015, 2016, 2021)
- ICC ODI Team of the Year (2015, 2018)
- Wisden Cricketer of the Year (2014)
- PCA Young Cricketer of the Year (2012)
