Dorset Cricketer Praises Joe Root’s “Great Example”

A Dorset cricketer has praised Joe Root’s “great example”, as England fight to win the third Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi.

At stumps on day two England trail by 53 runs and are 24 for 3.

England won the first Test, with Pakistan taking the second Test to tie the series at 1-1.

In the first Test in Multan, Joe Root passed Sir Alastair Cook to become England’s all-time leading Test match run scorer with a current total of 12,716.

Alan Graham, Parley Cricket Club’s youth coordinator, said: “He’s a great example for all youngsters.”

“He’s not a big character but he’s a good example [for young people].”

Pakistan had a good first innings and are in control of the deciding Test. Saud Shakeel scored an impressive 134 runs before Gus Atkinson cut his innings short.

Cricket writer for The Guardian, Rafaelle Nicholson, expects England to continue their “Bazball” approach to Test cricket, describing it as a “high risk, high reward strategy”.

England have not lost to Pakistan in a Test series since 2015 and Nicholson believes the positive record “will definitely give England some confidence”.

She said: “Past results are really important for players and especially in cricket when so much of it is psychological.”

After England’s historic win in the first Test, Pakistan came back strongly in the second. They won by 152 runs with Sajid Khan starring, taking 9 wickets and scoring 22 runs.

In the third Test, England batted first and totalled 267 runs before Pakistan ended the first innings on 344.

England have started the second innings going 24 for 3 with Joe Root and Harry Brook currently not out.

The third, decisive Test restarts at 6am tomorrow morning in Rawalpindi.