Joe Root hopes to be part of England's T20 World Cup squad

The 30-year-old Root hasn’t given up on his T20 ambitions, months after being ignored for a series against Australia at home.

Joe Root has played 32 T20Is in his career so far. - REUTERS

England's Test captain Joe Root wants to be in the squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

Root will be appearing in his 100 Test when he leads England in the series opening match against India from Friday. The focus, for now, is the four-match Test series but Root hasn’t given up on his T20 ambitions, months after being ignored for a series against Australia at home.

“For me, the most important thing is that England go into that World Cup with the strongest squad and give ourselves the best chance of winning there, and hopefully, I can be a part of that squad,” Root said on BBC ’s Test Match Special .

“... And if no then I will be backing those guys because it would be a huge achievement on the back of what we have achieved in 50-over World Cup.” The T20 World Cup is scheduled to be held in India later this year.

The 30-year-old Root, one of the world’s best batsmen in Test cricket, has so far scored 893 runs in 32 T20 Internationals with five half-centuries, at a strike rate of 126.3.

“Absolutely, I would love to be a part of that World Cup squad, I love playing all three formats, everything is a different challenge,” Root said.

“I haven’t had the opportunity to play a huge amount of T20 games in the last few years, but I am also aware of the guys who are playing some amazing cricket, they are brilliant players and fully deserve their chance. But if I get an opportunity, all I can do is try to score as many runs as I can when it comes to T20 games.”

'Never one for numbers'

Root who averages nearly 50 in Test cricket, says doesn’t really lose his sleep over statistics. “I have never really been one for numbers, I have been more about winning games and obviously if you are scoring big runs you are helping the team. More important is how many games you can really affect and home many games you can contribute and help England win. That’s always been my mindset, that will always be my mindset.

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“Of course, at the end of my career, I will probably look at things slightly differently, but for now all I am concerned about is doing my part for the team and score as many runs as I can.”

Though he is on the verge of completing a century of Test matches, Root plans to carry on for a long time, taking inspiration from veterans James Anderson and Stuart Broad. “At the moment, the way I see things, is that I want to play as long as possible, I can’t see where it’s going to stop. The way Jimmy and Broady keep going and get better and better, they are an inspiration for someone like me. Hopefully that fire, that drive stays there in me and I can keep going.”