IPL: Joe Root puts newborn son before riches

England star Joe Root has turned down a potential seven-figure sum to spend time at home with his newborn son.

Joe Root’s value at auction is hypothetical, but he is one of the leading batsmen around.

Joe Root says he remains in the dark over the possibility of an imminent coronation as England Test captain, but on one issue he is crystal clear. He has turned down the opportunity to earn a potential seven-figure sum in the Indian Premier League this year to spend time at home with his newborn son.

Several franchises showed an interest in signing Root while the Board of Control for Cricket in India wanted him in their showpiece tournament. Root himself “would love to play”, but is putting family first after his fiancee, Carrie Cotterell, gave birth to their first child, Alfred William, ten days ago.

“It is a shame because there is a really good window in the international calendar to play,” Root said. “But looking at the schedule, especially next winter, I am going to be away for long periods. This will be a great opportunity to spend time at home and watch [Alfred] grow up a little bit.

“A lot of great things would come from the IPL, a lot of great experiences and I am sure it would help to improve my game, but at the moment being at home is my priority and I want to make sure I do not miss out on that. It is quite tough being away in these early days so it will be nice to catch up.”

Root’s value at auction is hypothetical, but he is one of the leading batsmen around, and his 83 from 44 balls in the World Twenty20 game against South Africa in Mumbai last March ranked among the tournament highlights. It is not too far-fetched to imagine bids climbing towards the $1m mark.

IPL deals for the tournament that starts on April 5 will be influenced by availability and Andrew Strauss, the director of England cricket, has to balance the cricketing interests of players with the integrity of the national side for the one-day internationals against Ireland on May 5 and 7 that clash with the lucrative competition.

While agents are keen for clients to be available until May 16, when Strauss wants players back in time for a pre-Champions Trophy training camp in Spain, some of those seeking IPL deals may be required to face Ireland. Eoin Morgan, for one, is set to captain England against the country of his birth.

That is not the only dilemma for Strauss. He must also decide whether Alastair Cook remains at the Test helm, though a rubber-stamping operation is expected if Cook wants to stay on. Root said that he prefers Cook to continue, but is ready if required to step up from the vice-captaincy.

While the pair have spoken, Root said that the question of the leadership - unlike baby-talk - did not arise. “As far as the captaincy is concerned, I am clueless about what is going on,” Root said. “I just hope Alastair makes a decision he is happy with. As a player, I would like to see him continue because he is a great leader who can take the team forward. Am I ready? Who knows? A lot of people say you don’t know until you are in that position.

“I would like to think I am, I have a lot of experience behind me now in Test cricket and I feel that I would have something to offer.”

For his own part, Cook said last month, when it looked as though the strain was telling, that Root would be ready if needed.

“At the minute, the decision is Cooky’s to make on his own and he needs to be given space so he can do that,” Root said. “There is no point other people chatting to him or trying to influence him . . . if he thinks he is at the end of his tether, then fair enough to him, he has been a fantastic leader.”

The immediate challenge for Root is helping England to try to level the one-day series against India after the tourists failed to defend a total of 350 on Sunday. The teams will fly to Cuttack tomorrow (Wednesday) ahead of the second of the three games on Thursday.

England will doubtless use some of the time between now and then to conjure fresh plans for Virat Kohli, whose 122 in Pune endorsed the opinion of Root that he is the world’s best batsman in a one-day chase. “I would love to sit and chat with him, but I have not had the opportunity yet,” Root said.

“In hindsight, if we could have more individual plans to him, that could be a way to go. One thing we noticed [on Sunday] is that he chanced his arm early. He talked his partner [Kedar Jadhav] through their partnership and helped him construct his innings. There was a lot of thought behind it and we have to learn from that.

“When he gets in, sometimes you have to try and put him under pressure in different ways whether it is starving him of the strike or upsetting his rhythm and seeing if that works.”

The Times