AB de Villiers makes a ‘big statement’ after Joe Root struggles against India
Ex-South Africa player AB de Villiers heavily criticized Bazball for Joe Root’s poor form in England’s ongoing Test series against India. Prior to the 5-match Test series, Root was expected to pose a massive threat to the home team due to his past record on Indian soil.
However, Root has found the going tough and has faced criticism for his shot selections.
In the ongoing series, Root has scored only 77 runs at an average of 12.83 and a strike-rate of 49.04, with a top score of 29 to his name. De Villiers said that Root has blown “out of his norm” in the Bazball era.
De Villiers said, “When I played against him (Root), I felt he was one of the best Test batters I have ever played against. But that has changed, and it’s because of Bazball. I know it’s a big statement, but the ones that you find hardest to play against in Test match cricket are the ones who are hardest to get out. And now he is getting out on reverse sweeps and kind of blowing out of his norm. I don’t like that.”
“Players like this (Root) should be told, ‘Listen, you just go out and play your natural game. You’re the glue of this batting line-up.’ Let Ben Duckett or Ben Stokes play aggressively. Let Root bat long,” he added.