Joe Root's Journey: From Tendulkar Fan to England's 'Grandfather'

Joe Root's return to captaincy at Headingley, his home ground, marked a significant moment in his career. This venue holds deep personal meaning, having witnessed his early fascination with cricket, including watching Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar as a teenager.

Root's formative years were heavily influenced by his grandfather, Don, and former county batting coach Kevin Sharp. Sharp, who mentored Root from age 12 to 21, played a crucial role in developing his technique and understanding of the game, as well as managing him as a person. "Huge role (Sharp played)," Root stated. "He got hold of me when I was about 12 years old until 21, and very impressionable years of your playing career and of your life in general and having good people, good mentors, is so important."

His grandfather, Don, who was instrumental in his cricketing journey, would often take a young Root to matches, creating lasting memories. Root recalled, "My local cricket club, Sheffield Collegiate, didn't have an Under 11 team when I was growing up, so he was involved with Rotherham Town, and that's where I played my Under 11s cricket." These experiences, coupled with his grandfather's support, laid the foundation for his career.

Root's professional journey has seen him surpass Tendulkar in international runs, achieving the milestone in fewer innings. He is also the first Englishman to pass 23,000 international runs. "The Yorkshire supporters, they love their game; they understand it," Root said of his home crowd. "They're very passionate about it. And they let you know what they think as well."

Now a senior figure in the England team, Root sees himself as the 'grandfather' of the side, taking on a mentoring role, similar to how his coach Sharp mentored him and other players. This is exemplified by his concern for pace bowler Brydon Carse after a recent off-field incident. "I love him," Root said of Sharp. "He's mad. But, you know, he's just a great man who did a lot, a lot for a number of players throughout that era, if you like. He is someone who was very impressionable on me."

Despite a brief stint in Nottingham Forest's academy at age 11, Root's true passion lay in cricket, a path largely shaped by his family and dedicated coaching. His connection to Headingley remains strong, and he looks forward to creating more memories at the ground that has been central to his development as a cricketer and as a leader.

One of Root's most cherished memories at Headingley is not his own achievement, but Ben Stokes' match-winning performance in 2019 against Australia. "As a player in 2019, Stokesey winning that Test match (against Australia), just being there, having the chance to be out there in the middle, but also sitting in that dressing room watching that all unfold, was pretty magical."