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Former Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie has shared an interesting story about Joe Root’s early days after he was reinstated as England’s Test captain following the retirement of the star all-rounder Ben Stokes from international cricket.
Gillespie believes that Root’s strong mindset and desire to improve played a big role in making him one of the greatest batters of the modern era in Test cricket. Amid this, CSK desperately want Ben Stokes back in IPL.
Jason Gillespie reveals the mindset that made Joe Root a Test great
Jason Gillespie recalled the story from Joe Root’s young days at Yorkshire. The Australian coach was coaching the Yorkshire County Cricket Club team at that time and was bowling to Root during a practice session inside an indoor training center.
During the session, Root approached Gillespie and asked for completely honest feedback about his batting. The right-handed batter wanted the former Australian bowler to tell him where he was going wrong and what he needed to improve.
He was not interested in hearing only good things about his game. And Gillespie said that attitude showed how serious Root was about becoming a better player. Amid this, Gus Atkinson opens up on Ashes disappointment, admits Australia were 'a different level'.
He always wanted brutally honest feedback: Jason Gillespie on Joe Root
Jason Gillespie said on talkSPORT Cricket: “I remember I was throwing balls in the indoor center to Joe Root, the young Joe Root. And he did come up to me during the session, and he just—this is why Joe has been such a good player. He always wanted brutally honest feedback, no nonsense, no spin.
And he actually said those exact words to me. He said, Dizzy, I need you to tell me what I need to hear, not what you think I want to hear. And that really stuck with me.”
🗣️ "He always wanted brutally honest feedback. No nonsense, no spin."
— talkSPORT Cricket (@Cricket_TS) August 11, 2026
🤝 "He said 'Dizzy, I need you to tell me what I need to hear, not what you think I want to hear'."
Jason Gillespie reveals what it was like coaching a young Joe Root at Yorkshire & what makes him so good pic.twitter.com/e8nG7NabD3
Notably, Gillespie coached Yorkshire from 2011 to 2016, which was an important period in Root’s career. During his time at the club, Yorkshire enjoyed major success and won back-to-back County Championship titles.
Root was also developing into one of the most important young batters in English cricket during those years. His performances helped him earn a place in the England team, and he slowly became a key player across formats. More than a decade later, Root is now one of the greatest Test batters.
Joe Root returns as a more confident captain
Well, Joe Root has returned as a more confident and experienced player than the captain who stepped down in 2022. The 35-year-old has already scored 14,114 runs in 166 Tests and is one of the few batters with a realistic chance of getting close to Sachin Tendulkar’s records.
Root feels his last four years of cricket have taught him a lot, and that experiences will now help him as he takes charge of England again and tries to lead the team in a better way.
Root had stated, “The last four years have been the most fun I’ve had in professional cricket, and a big part of that was down to the way that they got me to see the game, how I fit into that side, and the experiences that we managed to create on and off the field.
Clearly, the last little while is probably what’s fresh in everyone’s mind, but you’re looking at a four-year period where we did a lot of amazing things. I’ve taken a lot from that, and I feel it will be a big part of how I want to approach things moving forward as a leader of this team.”
