9 out of 11 dismissals. 81%. That’s how many times Joe Root has found himself clueless, exposing his weakness and getting out LBW. This trend has everyone worried. Especially in English cricket. Now, Stuart Broad has spoken about it.
What Did Stuart Broad Say About England Captain Joe Root’s LBW Struggles?
The former English fast bowler appeared on Sky Sports Cricket’s show and gave a detailed breakdown of Root’s troubles. But what caused it? A recent trend of calling the keeper up. Limiting the footwork and trapping Root in the crease, troubling him with the swing and wobble seam.
“Joe Root’s form is a concern. But Joe would just be desperate to get to South Africa, with a bit of extra bounce, you know, bit of extra movement. He can use the pace of the ball a bit more,” Broad said.
With seamers like New Zealand’s Matt Henry and Pakistan’s Mohammad Abbas probing away relentlessly, Root has looked strangely vulnerable to the ball coming back sharply off the seam. That’s where the South Africa tour might help the English captain a bit.
How? English pitches often offer spongy, variable bounce that tests a batter’s patience; South African tracks traditionally reward batsmen who trust the bounce and play square of the wicket. A batter of Root’s calibre would appreciate it and reap the reward.
What about the trend of calling the keeper up? Broad hopes to see it go away soon.
“I would say look at someone like Matt Henry, who’s knocked him over this summer. Mohammad Abbas a little bit,” Broad added. “Joe’s a much better player of, I’d say, more regulation test match bowling the higher pace.
“This sort of keeper-up thing has been a trend this summer. But I hope it’s not a trend that continues for a long period of time.”
The same goes for the Australian bowling lineup. The likes of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood would not bowl with a keeper-up. The fans also certainly won’t see Marco Jansen doing the same in South Africa.
“You know, Marco Jansen’s not going to be bowling with the keeper-up at Pretoria. So, I would say Joe’s got a better chance of scoring runs in South Africa than he has had this summer,” Broad concluded.
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