Joe Root is England’s greatest run scorer but doesn’t live on the edge like four of our more controversial legends
JOE ROOT has scored more runs for England than any other man.
He is unquestionably a fantastic batsman who has nailed the damn hard business of hitting a red leather ball around a field with a stick of willow.
He is technically correct with a wide range of shots.
If you wanted to print a textbook of how to bat properly, then a few dozen photos of Joe Root in action would do the job.
On top of that, Joe is a lovely man. He is kind, modest, generous with his knowledge and hugely respected by team-mates and opponents.
As his England opening batsman Ben Duckett said the other day: “Rooty is so humble, you wouldn’t know you were sitting alongside greatness in the changing-room.”
There has rarely been any scandal attached to Joe Root. He does and says all the right things while maintaining a remarkably high output.
He is perhaps cricket’s version of Harry Kane. Stellar scorers of runs (and goals) and yet, well, perhaps just a little safe for some tastes.
Boring? Nobody who has scored approaching 13,000 Test match runs for England and could one overtake the world record of 15,921 held by India’s Sachin Tendulkar could ever be described as boring.
But, if you like your stars to be edgy, controversial or arrogant – as well as hugely talented – then try these four for size…
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Ian Botham
Call him what you like… Ian Botham, Sir Ian Botham or Lord Botham of Ravensworth. Under any identity, the man was a cricketing colossus.
Botham rampaged his way across the globe in the late 1970s and early 1980s with a power and confidence few have matched.
He hit huge sixes, bowled outrageous swinging deliveries and caught stunners in the slips. And he did it with a force of personality that often overwhelmed opponents.
Botham frequently reserved his best performances for the Ashes and his exploits in 1981 remain unmatched in the long history of the battle for the urn.
After making a pair in the Second Test at Lord’s and being sacked as captain, Botham responded with sensational centuries at Headingley and Old Trafford and five-fors at Headingley, Edgbaston and the Oval.
He was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
Off the field, there were court cases, drug busts, written off cars, fights and fall outs with team-mates. He played League football for Scunthorpe United. There were tales of a broken bed in Barbados and Lord’s committeemen were “gin-soaked old dodderers.”
Life was never dull when Beefy was around. And yet, despite all his cricket heroics, the thing of which he is most proud is raising many millions of pounds for leukaemia research with his long walks.
David Gower
Few people have made batting look so effortless as David Gower. He was the ultimate in style and class.
From the moment Gower pulled his first delivery in Test cricket for four from a Pakistan bowler called Liaqat Ali, it was clear we were watching a glorious talent.
Gower looked like he could hit a four in his sleep
His movements were feline, his timing impeccable and the sense of danger rarely far away.
That was the thing about Gower. His cover drive was a thing of true beauty and, yet, there was sometimes a price to pay for the good times.
Once, twice, three times, Gower would waft his bat outside off stump, the ball would strike the sweet spot and fly to the boundary.
Oh, how we loved it. Gower looked like he could hit a four in his sleep.
Another attempt but this time the ball brushed the edge of his bat and he was caught. Gower departed, wearing an enigmatic smile, and everyone would shout: “Why did he have to do that?”
He did it, of course, for precisely the same reason that the previous three attempts had whistled to the boundary. For the fun of it and the expectation that he would collect another four.
“If Gower was any more laid back, he’d be horizontal,” someone once said. He was accused of being indifferent but nobody scores nine Test centuries against Australia without caring and a streak of steel.
On the 1990-91 Ashes tour, he and fellow batter John Morris hired a Tiger Moth plane and buzzed the ground where England were playing a warm-up match.
Kevin Pietersen
Few more divisive characters have played for England than Kevin Pietersen.
At his best, he was a swaggering, destructive batsman who treated bowling with near-contempt.
Three innings in 2012 – 151 v Sri Lanka in Colombo, 149 v South Africa at Headingley and 186 v India in Mumbai – were among the finest of modern times.
Pietersen virtually copyrighted the modern-day switch hit, memorably jumping around, becoming a left-hander and hitting two sixes off New Zealand medium-pacer Scott Styris in a white-ball match at Durham.
Another time, KP switch swept Sri Lanka mystery spinner Muttiah Muralitharan into the crowd during a Test match at Edgbaston.
That was the good Pietersen.
The bad Pietersen fell out with team-mates, effectively got coach Peter Moores the sack and was accused of suggesting to his South African opponents ways to dismiss Andrew Strauss.
That is not strictly true but he did describe Strauss as a “doos” – an unflattering word in Afrikaans.
Two years later, Strauss was commentating and, thinking the mic was off between overs, was heard to call Pietersen a “complete c***.”
Pietersen’s autobiography created further problems and the likes of Matt Prior, Graeme Swann and Alastair Cook were sworn enemies. Many of the old wounds have healed, but not all.
When he tried to reach a century with a six and holed out, he was called “Dumbslog Millionaire.” Others preferred “FIGJAM” – F*** I’m Good, Just Ask Me.
Ben Stokes
Back in 2016, Ben Stokes produced the most devastating batting assault in England history by scoring 258 from 198 balls with 30 fours and 11 sixes against South Africa.
Now as captain Stokes has transformed the way Test cricket is played, not just by England but by every other country.
England bat with aggression, bowl to take wickets rather than dry up runs and set attacking and frequently funky fields.
It is called Bazball after head coach Brendon ‘Baz’ McCullum but, make no mistake, Stokes is the prime instigator.
As McCullum says: “I used to think I was aggressive, but Stokesy is in a different league.”
Other teams try to copy the Stokes way but they lack one ingredient – the brilliance of Stokes’ tactical brain and his raw cricket nous.
It all came after Joe Root stood down as England captain after winning just one of his last 17 Tests in charge.
In his early years, Stokes was sent home from an England Lions tour, broke his hand punching a dressing-room locker in Barbados and was cleared of affray following a fight outside a Bristol nightclub.
He has learned some harsh lessons and Stokes’ behaviour now is impeccable.
Yet there remains an element of menace to Stokes’ leadership – he is loyal and empathetic but players know not to cross him.