Root’s Record-Breaking Return Fuels England's ODI Resurgence

Joe Root has credited a sense of guilt over not being there for former captain Jos Buttler as the driving force behind his ODI resurgence, following a record-breaking performance in Cardiff that helped England secure a series win over the West Indies.

Root, 34, delivered a masterclass with the bat, scoring a career-best 166* to lead England to a thrilling chase of 309 in the second ODI. In doing so, he surpassed Eoin Morgan to become England’s all-time leading runscorer in ODIs, passing the former captain's tally of 6,957 runs.

The innings, which came in Root’s eighth ODI of 2025, marked a full-circle moment for the veteran right-hander who had drifted away from the 50-over format in recent years. Between 2021 and 2024, Root featured in just 25 of England’s 47 ODIs and was absent from all white-ball internationals during 2024.

Speaking after the win, Root acknowledged that his return to the ODI setup is fuelled in part by regret at not being more available during Buttler’s tenure.

“I played a huge amount of cricket with Jos and almost felt guilty that I wasn't there for him throughout a lot of his tenure,” Root said. “Now that there's more opportunities to play ODI cricket, I want to be involved. I want to make the team better and be there for this new group.”

His 18th ODI hundred was not only a personal milestone but also pivotal in giving Harry Brook his first series win as England’s new white-ball captain. Brook, 26, assumed the role earlier this year following Buttler’s resignation after a disappointing Champions Trophy campaign.

Root, who was England’s top-scorer during the triumphant 2019 World Cup campaign, expressed his commitment to supporting Brook’s leadership both on and off the field.

“Whether that’s helping in and around practice with the younger players or contributing in the middle, I still feel like I’ve got a lot more runs in me,” Root said. “Hopefully, this can be a team that sticks together for a long time. That’s what we did well in the run-up to 2019.”

Root also lauded Brook’s tactical acumen during the match, which saw England bowl out the West Indies for 308 after some clever field placements disrupted their rhythm.

“He might not always be the most intelligent away from cricket,” Root joked, “but he understands the game exceptionally well. You saw today how he set unusual fields that made it hard to rotate. That pressure brought us wickets.”

Root and Adil Rashid’s unbeaten 24-run stand for the eighth wicket sealed the chase, underlining the depth of experience still available to England in a format they are trying to rebuild ahead of the 2027 World Cup.

England now head to the Kia Oval for Tuesday’s third and final ODI with an unassailable 2-0 lead, and growing confidence in a new leadership era bolstered by the enduring brilliance of one of their modern greats.