England announced Monday they had recalled several World Cup winners for their upcoming white-ball series against Australia but Test captain Joe Root has again been omitted from the Twenty20 squad, reports AFP.
Fifty-over world champions England have been fielding separate red and white ball squads in a season hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
But with all six Tests spanning two series wins against the West Indies and Pakistan now completed, England have recalled some of their multi-format players for next month’s limited-overs matches against Australia.
Root was the third-highest run-scorer at the 2016 T20 World Cup but has not played a T20 international for over a year, despite still wanting to feature in the format.
He has, however, hit scores of 64 and 65 for Yorkshire in this season’s Twenty20 Blast.
But with England white-ball captain Eoin Morgan and Dawid Malan both compiling fine fifties during a five-wicket win over Pakistan in the second T20 at Old Trafford on Sunday, it is hard to see where Root fits into the national side’s Twenty20 XI.
England national selector Ed Smith said Root was not currently in their best T20 team “although no doors are closed to him in the future”.
“Joe plays so much cricket, gives so much to England every time he plays, it’s not right for him that we have him in the squad if he’s not likely to be starting,” added former England batsman Smith.
