An Apple pencil scribbling sketches on the IPad is how Joe Root will be found spending his time, around cricket but not quite playing it.
Talking on UK Vitality’s ‘Day in the life of’ show recently, Root spoke of why he digs drawing and sketches on his IPad whenever he finds a few hours to kill.
“When we are out on tours and in hotel rooms or I’m playing, sometimes I like to draw. I generally draw on my IPad now,” he told the show. “It’s something that if I didn’t play cricket, I’d still have done at school and beyond. I just find it’s a really nice way to switch off, take mind off stresses of touring or if it’s time to fill before flying. It’s a nice way to relax. And unwind really,” he said.
A large part of it is a creativity outlet but the decorated batsman, looking to drop a bunch of records in coming days, also likened the sketching to cricket. “There are some parallels for drawing – sketching with cricket really. As a batter you got to be, or I like to think you got to be a little bit of an artist. How you construct innings, how you decide shots you might have to play and how you manage different bowling types. There is a small crossover between the two,” he said.
In the show he is seen dropping off his children to school, and asking them what they’d like to become when they grow up. “Ninja, chef or an inventor,” is the answer, as he adds that a busy winter touring meant he had spent good time through the start of the summer at home with family.
When quizzed on how he deals with pressure, Root said, “If I feel pressure, I go back to, relate to when I started playing. That feeling of when you wake up in the morning and if it was raining outside we would still want to go outside and play cricket. Be it in garden, on the driveway, on the road. Me and my brother would have many Test matches. And we would think we are playing against Australia or South Africa. I remember that raw emotion that enjoyment I got from playing cricket,” he said adding he was keen to enjoy second half of my career, not burdened by captaincy anymore.
Often spotted singing Oasis numbers, like Don’t look back in anger, strumming an Ukulele, Root also carries a guitar on tours or to matches at home. “I was very fortunate through a friend who’s big supporter of cricket, I got a signed guitar. He basically said ‘Good luck for Ashes, beat Australia.” Every now and again you take it on tour, and before long you have two hours and you figure out a song or a riff,” he said.
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When at home in his Sheffield village, Root has begun playing padel at the local club.
“They opened a padel centre in the village it’s been about 4-5 weeks. One thing I love about it is spend time with friends, you get benefits of exercise as well. Not only does it scratch and itch of competitiveness but gets you active. One of the best things of sport is you make lifelong friends,” he said.
