England branch out with Root as batsman is included in all three squads for New Zealand tour

By Paul Newman for the Daily Mail

Published: 07:31 EST, 24 January 2013 | Updated: 06:37 EST, 25 January 2013

The inexorable rise of Joe Root continued apace when he was rushed into England’s one-day squad and was added to the Twenty20 party for their tour of New Zealand.

Root, 22, was supposed to be captain of the Lions squad for their Australian tour next month in what was seen as important leadership experience for a youngster who already has every chance of becoming Alastair Cook’s eventual successor.

Yet such has been Root’s impact for England in all forms of the game, the latest example being his brilliant half-century in Wednesday’s defeat by India, that he was added to a one-day squad that was named just after Christmas

On the rise: Joe Root has been called up to England's one-day squad for the tour of New Zealand

He was then was called up to replace Danny Briggs, who turned an ankle yesterday, in the Twenty20 party, meaning he could represent England in all three forms on this tour.

While Root is very much on the way up, Craig Kieswetter’s international future is in jeopardy after England decided the latest in a long line of keepers they have tried in one-day cricket must be thrown off the merry-go-round.

It is as a batsman that all keepers are judged these days and it was Kieswetter’s failure to impress in his middle-order role, after being dropped from the Twenty20 squad before Christmas, that led to him being left out of the fourth one-day international here and now from the next 50-over party. There is every chance that he has played his last game for England.

On the day that England named a Test squad for New Zealand that was pretty much as expected other than Chris Woakes in place of the injured Tim Bresnan, it was the changes to the one-day party that caught the eye.

‘There are no question marks about Joe Root as far as I’m concerned,’ said national selector Geoff Miller. ‘He has taken to the international arena so easily and has shown in both Test and one-day cricket that he has the quality we always thought he had.’ 

What has become the poisoned chalice of one-day wicketkeeper now passes to Jonny Bairstow, with Jos Buttler, who came into the side on Wednesday at Kieswetter’s expense, backing him up. Bairstow will be the 11th used in one-day internationals by England in less than 10 years since Alec Stewart retired.

Glove story: Jonny Bairstow is the latest to try his hand at keeping wicket

James Harris, who has just left Glamorgan to join  Middlesex, was also added to the 50-over ranks ahead of the likes of Jade Dernbach and Stuart Meaker.

Bresnan has had a very poor 12 months since leaving Dubai this time last year to have an elbow operation and his omission now is recognition by England that the problem was far from solved by surgery.

‘We need to make sure Tim is a hundred per cent fit as opposed to 90,’ said Miller. 

‘He felt he could bowl through this but it’s not quite there.’

Elbowed out: Bresnan (left) will miss the tour of New Zealand through injury

James Harris, who has just left Glamorgan to join  Middlesex, was also added to the 50-over ranks ahead of the likes of Jade Dernbach and Stuart Meaker.

Bresnan has had a very poor 12 months since leaving Dubai this time last year to have an elbow operation and his omission now is recognition by England that the problem was far from solved by surgery.

‘We need to make sure Tim is a hundred per cent fit as opposed to 90,’ said Miller. 

‘He felt he could bowl through this but it’s not quite there.’

England’s one-day thinking is centred on the Champions Trophy that they host this summer and there was an interesting addition to the Lions party in the form of Warwickshire’s Rikki Clarke, who played the last of his 20 one-day internationals more than six years ago.

Back in the fold: Rikki Clarke, pictured on England duty in 2006

England’s preferred strategy for home 50-over games is to play four fast bowlers and if Bresnan is still unfit in June there are a dearth of alternatives who are good enough to bat at seven. Woakes is one and Clarke, at 31, is another.

‘There were problems with Rikki’s temperament in the past,’ said Miller. ‘But he’s worked very hard with Ashley Giles at Warwickshire and we feel they have been rectified.

‘When somebody’s got that kind of quality you don’t want to waste it and we’ve given him an opportunity to show he wants this badly enough.’

England leave India for New Zealand on Monday but before that there is the small matter of the final one-dayer here in the foothills of the Himalayas on Sunday.

England made the journey here with bated breath but the good news is that this stunning setting was snow-free, even though it is bitterly cold.

The odds on Sunday’s dead rubber going ahead have improved but clearly the temperature is going to be more suited to Durham in April than India.