Joe Root dreams of playing alongside his brother Billy in national colours
What’s the story?
Talismanic batsman Joe Root has stated that he hopes to one day play alongside his brother Billy for England. 24-year-old Billy Root has been in really good form for Nottinghamshire in the 2017 Royal London One-Day Cup, having scored his maiden List A century against Warwickshire in a 93-ball knock of 107.
The England Test skipper, Joe, said, “I'm extremely proud of him [Billy]. It's been a long time coming. That has been slightly down to him not quite getting it right when he's had limited opportunities. But now he has been given a good run of games in the side, he's scored runs, he's had three not outs and is doing brilliantly at No. 6 and of course getting a hundred not out is fantastic. I'm desperate for him to do well – apart from against Yorkshire. It is a dream for us to one day play together. “
In case you didn’t know...
Billy has played first-class cricket since 2015, and has scored 351 runs in nine innings at an average of 43.87 with 133 against Sussex being his highest score. He made his List A debut for Nottinghamshire this year during the Royal London One-Day Cup, and has scored 250 runs in six innings at an impressive average of 83.33 and an equally impressive strike-rate of 93.63.
Both the Root brothers have had a short stint together with the national team when Billy came on as a substitute fielder during an Ashes game at Trent Bridge in 2015.
The heart of the matter
Billy is currently the second highest run-scorer for Nottinghamshire at the Royal London One-Day Cup, and he has helped his team to a quarter-final berth. Notts finished third in the North Group behind Worcestershire and Yorkshire.
What’s next?
Elder brother Joe is currently preparing for the upcoming Champions Trophy along with the rest of the England team. The hosts of the competition, England are amongst the favourites to win the title. Billy, on the other hand, will play his next match against Somerset in the quarter-finals of the Royal London One-Day Cup on June 13th.
Author’s Take
Billy is truly in the midst of a purple patch at the moment. Provided he maintains his consistency, he might get an opportunity to feature for the national team playing in the series against West Indies and the Ashes.