Published: Dec 10, 2024, 09:40 AM (IST)
Edited: Dec 10, 2024, 09:40 AM (IST)
Former England batter Michael Atherton has deemed Joe Root as the ‘current best batter in the world’. This comes after Root recently completed his 36th Test century in the recently-concluded match against New Zealand in Wellington. Since 2021, Root has hammered a whopping 5,063 runs with a stunning 19 centuries.
Atherton didn’t hesitate one bit before naming Root as the current best player in the world ahead of the likes of Virat Kohli, Steven Smith and Kane Williamson.
“He is right now, unquestionably. Nineteen Test hundreds since 2021, that’s 10 more than the next best [Kane Williamson]. It’s an incredible run of form. He is playing quite beautifully and at his absolute best,” Atherton told Sky Sports News.
Another England batter who has been making waves in Test cricket as of late is Harry Brook. The batter recently rose to the number 2 spot in the Test batter rankings. In England’s ongoing Test series against New Zealand, Brook already has 2 centuries to his name from two Tests and has struck 349 runs with a sensational average of 116.33.
Despite Brook’s sensational performances with the bat in red-ball cricket, Root still holds the best spot for Atherton.
“The runs here were on the back of that hundred from Brook and earlier efforts from Jacob Bethell (96) and Ben Duckett (92), so they weren’t the toughest runs he’ll ever score, but you’ve still got to go out and get them – and Joe does that day in, day out. He’s incredibly consistent,” Atherton said.
“He is an unbelievable player. There are other very exciting young players in the team, like Brook and Bethell, but Root is still England’s best,” Atherton added.
