JOE ROOT HAILS ENGLAND’S PULLY POWER

New Test captain delighted to see iconic woollen sweater back, as revealed by The Cricketer, reports Huw Turbervill

New England Test captain Joe Root is thrilled that he will be leading England out in traditional woolly pullies again.

The news was revealed by The Cricketer magazine in last September’s issue, and in Oxford Street on Tuesday evening New Balance finally unveiled England’s new kits for Tests, 50-over and T20.

The Test jumper is one of the most iconic items of clothing in English sporting history: knitted, with its magnificent three lions and crown navy logo.

“I have never worn a proper traditional one like this for England,” said Root. “It’s as traditional as you can get. It’s what Test cricket is about, and it’s nice to see New Balance have embraced that. It fits beautifully with how we want to go about Test cricket. I have spoken to a few guys in the side and they fully back it. We are excited to wear it during the summer. It’s really smart, and yet quite light. We have some Tests in September so we might need it!

“I do remember the picture of Ian Botham in the changing room smoking a cigar! Also in the 2005 Ashes when they were wearing the cable-knit jumper. There have been some great historical, iconic memories of English cricket that are associated with this. 

“You feel like a kid again, wearing your whites for the first time, along your older brother’s pads and a nice wooly jumper your grandma knitted. The core value of Test cricket will always be the same, even if things like scoring rates change. Classic creams, classic whites and cable-knit sweaters are a massive part of that.”

Root was asked if he took his kit home and washed it... “I don’t leave it in my bag!” he said. “Yes, absolutely, we take it home with us. During the Test you might be lucky enough to get it done at the ground, but during the matches you take it home.”

While a wooly pully of sorts was used in 2015 and 2016, it proved controversial. It had cable knit up to the chest and then plain knit above that, with red trim along the bottom. Some fans described it as “an abomination”. BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew said: “I don’t think I have ever seen a cricket jumper quite like it.”

When Adidas started making England kit they brought in acrylic garments, and then-captain Michael Vaughan said: “I’m absolutely delighted to see the end of what I hope will be the last woolly cricket sweater.”

Thankfully he was wrong - you do not mess with something so pure, so brilliant, so iconic. English cricket has seen sense.