Cricket · Batter
Joe Root
Joseph Edward Root
England batter Joe Root is his country's leading Test run-scorer, second on the all-time Test list, and was reappointed England Test captain in 2026.
Biography
A product of Yorkshire, Root made his Test debut against India in December 2012 and quickly became a fixture in England's top order. He captained the Test side from 2017 to 2022, leading England in a national-record 65 Tests, and was England's top scorer when they won the 2019 Cricket World Cup. He has since become England's leading Test run-scorer and moved to second on the all-time Test run-scoring list. Following Ben Stokes's retirement from international cricket in 2026, Root was reappointed as full-time Test captain.
Career timeline
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2009 – present
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2012 – present · Test captain 2017-2022; reappointed full-time Test captain in 2026
Major achievements
- ICC Cricket World Cup winner2019
- England's leading Test run-scorer
- Second-highest run-scorer in Test history
- England Test captain (record 65 Tests in first spell)2017-2022
- Reappointed England Test captain2026
Stories
Cricket
Joe Root: England's Record Run-Scorer and His Return to the Captaincy
How Joe Root went from Yorkshire prospect to England's leading Test run-scorer, and why he was handed the Test captaincy for a second time in 2026.
Sources
- Joe Root — Wikipedia (accessed 2 November 2026)
- England Test captain Ben Stokes announces international retirement — The Irish Times (accessed 2 November 2026)
- England reappoint Joe Root as full-time Test captain — Arab News Pakistan (accessed 2 November 2026)