Joe Root, a master of English batting, has refuted the idea that cricket legends like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma should be overlooked because of their advanced age. Root’s remarks after an enthralling performance by the Indian team in the 2023 Asia Cup, where they are among the competition’s top run scorers.
The ‘Hitman’ of India, Rohit Sharma, has been a persistent force throughout the campaign, scoring three successive half-centuries, the most recent of which was a superb performance against Sri Lanka on a difficult surface in Colombo.
In the meantime, Virat Kohli scored his 47th ODI century against Pakistan in the crucial Super Four match.
Root, who takes his cues from players like Chris Gayle and James Anderson, advocates the idea that a cricketer’s skill and potential are not diminished by age.
“I believe it is extremely risky to simply write off players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma due to their age. Take Chris Gayle’s T20 cricket career, for instance. In T20 cricket, in particular, some of the top players in the world have played longer and have excelled. In an interview with the Times of India, Root said, “You carry on and play as long as you’re fit.
Jimmy Anderson is a wonderful example you look at, the stylish right hander added as he emphasised the age-defying prowess of England’s top fast bowler. Despite being beyond 40, he continues to play remarkably well. We’re quite lucky that we didn’t miss out on that because we believed he was too old. He’s still on the field and still in charge of our offence. And we’re making the most of all that knowledge and expertise. We consider him to be a gifted player who can play well on his own.
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