Paul Farbrace, England's interim coach, has backed Joe Root to bounce back strongly after being dropped for the series-deciding T20I against India at Bristol on Sunday, but reiterated that "runs are the currency" by which all of England's batsmen need to be judged in the current clamour for white-ball berths.
Despite being acknowledged as England's finest multi-format batsman, Root found himself under pressure following scores of 35, 0 and 9 in his three previous T20 innings against Australia and India. He made way for the return of Ben Stokes in Bristol after Alex Hales had made his own place in the side secure with a match-winning half-century at Cardiff on Friday.
Root's omission would have seem unthinkable two years ago, when he was the glue in the England T20 line-up that came so close to victory in the World T20 in India, and prior to the series Farbrace insisted Root was a fixture in the side. However, Farbrace - who has been standing in for the head coach, Trevor Bayliss, during the T20I series - said that Root remained a shoo-in to play in the first ODI against India at Trent Bridge on Thursday.... Root's role in T20 cricket has come under inadvertent scrutiny in recent months, partly as a consequence of his huge importance to England's fortunes in the longer formats.... "It is important in low-scoring games on tough wickets, you need people who can manipulate the strike, who can play spin bowling well, and can keep you in tight games," said Farbrace. "That's a skill that Joe has - he has the ability to hit boundaries. He might not have the raw power of a Stokes or a Bairstow but he has strong cricket shots, even in 20-over cricket, which will get you your reward... "Yes, he hasn't got any runs in the last couple of games and, yes, that does make you vulnerable in any side. Runs are your currency - that's what you're selected on. It's the same for bowlers - it's about wickets and economy rates in T20 cricket."
