“I just want to keep developing every side of my game and not stand still”

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

England batsman Joe Root has established himself as one of the most gifted and feared batsmen in world cricket today, but why is the 26-year-old turning to baseball ahead of the busy summer ahead?

Known for having an arsenal of classic strokes that come straight out of the coaching manual, Root revealed that he has enlisted the help of Julian Wood to help him generate more power from aggressive and high-risk shots.

Wood, who worked with the Texas Rangers, a Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise, for four years, uses radar to measure the hand speed and ball speed after it has made contact with the bat.

“Traditionally, I’ve been a touch player, but you want to have as many options as possible,” Root said. “I was trying a few things out with Julian Wood. I just want to keep developing every side of my game and not stand still.

“It is really important to try to open that side of my game up and it was a good opportunity to try something before the first game against South Africa.

“It was the first time I had worked with him and it was quite insightful. I got a couple of good things from it and we’ll see how it goes in the future and if it makes me a stronger player.”