Top 10 extra-ordinary batsmen of current times

6. Joe Root (England)

Joe Root has been regarded by many as the future of England and voices are already been heard about him taking up the obvious role of captaincy. But at the moment he is there in the team as a technically gifted batting talent. When was the last time England had a batsman who batted with maturity from a very young age as Joe Root ? Can’t think of any ! But he is from Yorkshire and he is bound to be like that, as Geoffrey Boycott proudly says. Root’s ability to learn quickly and improve his game makes him stand out. In the Ashes held at Australia, when England was whitewashed 5-0 by the might of the Aussies Root was also on the receiving end. But then he came back in England, scored a double ton against Sri Lanka and backed it up with two more hundreds against India. That showed his ability to quickly learn his flaws and move ahead. Root also puts a heavy price on his wicket, unlike the other Englishmen in the circuit. Joe Root is about placement, timing and precision. He doesn’t even think of giving weight on the stroke. With the quality of batsmen deteriorating with the advent of T20 cricket, few people like Joe Root will carry Test Cricket and One Day cricket to the next level. Joe Root is a special talent for sure. He is young and has years of cricket left in him. The key will be to guard against complacency and keep his career ticking.