I think there’s a future for Adil Rashid and Alex Hales in Test cricket: Joe Root

Blaming the current system for players losing interest in the longest format of the game, Root went on to say that a cricketer requires determination and drive to succeed in the Test cricket.

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Joe Root revealed that that the likes of Alex Hales and Adil Rashid still have a future in Test cricket. (Source: Reuters)

England skipper Joe Root revealed that that the likes of Alex Hales and Adil Rashid still have a future in Test cricket. Recently, the duo of Hales and Rashid had stated they would not be representing their county sides, ruling them out of Test selection. Blaming the current system for players losing interest in the longest format of the game, Root went on to say that they all they require is the determination and drive to succeed in the Test cricket.

“Players like Alex and Rash, who get pigeon-holed as white-ball specialists, I think there’s a future for them in Test cricket. You look at how the game has changed in the last five years – with scoring rates and the things you now need to do with the ball – the skills you have to have, a lot of them have come from white-ball cricket,” Root said in a chat with sky sports.

“That cross-over, I think, can be there if guys have the attitude and determination to play Test cricket. There’s no reason, if you are suited to the white ball, you can’t tailor yourself into a red-ball cricketer. It’s just about having that want and drive, and to have enough opportunity to play red-ball cricket in the county system and around the world for that to develop,” he added.

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Reflecting on the lucrative opportunities to play Test cricket, he said, “It’s very difficult to stop guys doing it. You can’t place blame on individuals, there’s an issue higher up than that, and I think schedules will have to be tampered [with] and changed slightly.”

“If you’re playing all three formats, somewhere down the line you’re going to have to miss some cricket. Personally, mine’s been in T20 series – I’m obviously not going to miss any Test cricket now and, with a 50-over World Cup next year, there’s a big focus on playing that. So it can feel like a long time until you play that next format, and guys want to be playing everything as much as possible. Maybe there is something that needs to be looked at there. Give guys a chance to play all three formats and not have to make that decision,” he concluded by saying.

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