Ashes hope Root to continue opening role for Yorkshire

There has been speculation that England will ask the club to play Root in the middle order, where he has spent all his formative Test career.

But Yorkshire say they have not been asked to drop him down the list and that they will determine Root’s best position.

Speaking exclusively to the Yorkshire Post, director of cricket Martyn Moxon said: “Joe Root will bat for Yorkshire where we want him to bat.

“There has been no directive from England and I don’t expect there to be one.

“It’s not totally my decision where he bats for us because 
Jason Gillespie (first-team coach) and Andrew Gale (captain) are in charge of the first team.

“We will discuss the situation between us, but I don’t expect Joe to be in our middle order, no.”

Root, released by England for Yorkshire’s second, third and fourth Championship games prior to the first Test against New Zealand on May 16, opened in each of his 14 Championship matches last year.

Moxon believes he needs more experience at the top of the order.

“If England ever want him to open then it’s more difficult to go from No 6 to No 1 than it is from No 1 to No 6,” he said.

“That’s why he needs to get practice higher up. Joe can definitely be an England opener.

“He’s got a good technique and an excellent temperament.”

Pace bowler Tim Bresnan is back training with Yorkshire 
following the elbow operation which ruled him out of the New Zealand tour.

Bresnan is restricted to bowling 24 balls per training session as he gradually increases his fitness.

Yorkshire hope Bresnan’s comeback game will be the three-day friendly against Lancashire at Headingley (April 16-18).

Moxon has revealed Yorkshire are unlikely to have South African batsman David Miller back as an overseas player for Twenty20.

Miller has not played enough international cricket in the last two years to enable him to qualify for a work permit.

“David wants to come back and we want him back but the regulations state he needs to have played 15 one-day internationals/Twenty20 internationals or one Test match in the previous two years,” said Moxon.

“At the minute, he’s two matches short, so if he plays in the Champions Trophy in June he could conceivably get those games in before our T20 competition.

“However, I understand there could now be a South African tour to Sri Lanka in July, which further complicates things.

“We’ll give him the maximum opportunity to be available but, if he’s not, we’ll make a decision on whether to bring someone else in.”

Geoffrey Boycott was re-elected president at Saturday’s annual meeting, Michael Vaughan was elected to the board and Robin Smith re-elected.

Darren Gough was made an honorary life member, while Yorkshire’s executive chairman Colin Graves was appointed a club vice-president.

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