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Joe Root

Joe Root on Yorkshire debut
Joe Root on Yorkshire debut Image: Wikimedia Commons. Matt Root / CC BY-SA 3.0

Overview

Joseph Edward Root (born 30 December 1990) is an English international cricketer who represents England in Test and One Day International (ODI) cricket. A right-handed batsman who also bowls occasional off spin, Root plays for Yorkshire in English domestic cricket. He is widely regarded as one of the finest batsmen of his era and among the greatest produced by England.

Root captained the England Test team between February 2017 and April 2022, leading the side in more Test matches than any other England captain. He is the highest run-scorer for England in both Tests and ODIs, and as of March 2026 stands as the second highest run-scorer of all time in Test cricket.

Key facts

Full name Joseph Edward Root
Born 30 December 1990
Nationality English
Batting Right-handed
Bowling Off spin (occasional)
Fielding position First slip
Domestic team Yorkshire
Test debut 2012
ODI debut 2013
T20I career 2012–2019
Test captaincy February 2017 – April 2022

Career

International debut and rise

Root made his Test debut in 2012 and his ODI debut in 2013. He also represented England in Twenty20 Internationals between 2012 and 2019. Although he originally played as an opener, he has spent the majority of his England career batting in the middle order.

Test captaincy

Root led England's Test team from February 2017 to April 2022. During this period he set the England records for the most Tests as captain (64) and the most wins as captain (27).

Batting records

Root is England's highest run-scorer in both Test and ODI cricket. He holds the England records for most Test centuries (41) and most ODI centuries (20). In June 2022, he became the second England batsman, and the fourteenth overall, to score 10,000 Test runs.

He shares the world record for the highest fourth-wicket partnership in Test cricket — 454 runs with Harry Brook — which is also the fourth-highest partnership for any wicket in Tests. With James Anderson, he holds the record for the highest tenth-wicket partnership (198) in Tests.

2019 Cricket World Cup

Root was a member of the England squad that won the 2019 Cricket World Cup, top-scoring for England in the tournament. He is England's leading run-scorer in ICC Cricket World Cup history and the only English player to have scored over 1,000 runs in the competition.

Fielding

Root regularly fields at first slip and holds the record for the most Test catches by an outfield player.

Honours and recognition

  • Named in England's greatest all-time Test XI by the England and Wales Cricket Board on the occasion of England's 1,000th Test in 2018.
  • ICC Men's Test Cricketer of the Year, 2021.
  • Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World, 2021.
  • Topped the ICC rankings for Test batsmen on ten occasions (as of March 2026).

Significance

Root is considered one of the defining batsmen of contemporary Test cricket. His longevity, consistency across conditions, and prolific run-scoring have placed him alongside the most celebrated England batsmen in the country's cricketing history. His record as captain and his contribution to England's 2019 World Cup triumph further underline his stature in the modern game.

References