'If Joe Root was Indian, he might be leading T20 team' - Aakash Chopra on what India can learn from England

Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has pointed out the differences in the approach of the Indian cricket team and the England cricket team as the two sides enjoy contrasting campaigns at the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021. While India are on the verge of missing out on a spot in the semi-finals after two losses in their first three games, England have been unbeaten so far in their first four matches and have already qualified for the semis.

During a recent question and answer session on his YouTube channel, Chopra was asked about what India can learn from England's success in T20 World Cup 2021. Chopra responded by providing a detailed analysis of England have managed to become a force to reckon with in white-ball cricket.

Chopra explained how England have started picking players based on the demands of the format while keeping their reputation and form in other formats of the game aside. He called England's philosophy 'crystal clear'.

“This team goes with a philosophy. England have their priorities crystal clear and everyone seems to be moving in the same direction. They picked all-rounders by looking at performances from the county circuit, the Natwest T20 blast and The Hundred. They selected only white-ball players as per the demands of the format," said the former Indian cricketer.

He further went on to cite the example of Joe Root and claimed if the England Test skipper was an Indian, he would not only have been part of the Indian T20 team but also would have been leading the side at present. Root, who currently leads England in Tests, is not a part of the T20 World Cup 2021 squad.

“England did not take into consideration Test performances, no matter how good they were. Look at Joe Root’s case. If Joe Root was an Indian, do you think he would not have been part of the Indian T20 squad? I can give you in writing that Root would have been part of the team even if he had a strike rate of 125. He might even have been the captain of the T20 team. This is what India is all about. That is not how England thinks," Chopra said.

England had headed into the T20 World Cup this year without Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes, who are two of their best match-winners in white-ball cricket. However, they have barely missed the star duo and have been on a roll in the Super 12 stage of the tournament with four wins in a row. Chopra said Indan should learn from England and not form strategies around individuals but put a philosphy in place where they can use players as per their skills in a particular format.

“They have a horses for courses policy. Dawid Malan is in the T20 squad but doesn’t play too many Tests. Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid have been told what is expected of them. Their priorities are very clear. That is why even if some players are missing, there is someone else who can get into that role very quickly and seamlessly. India will have to learn from this. You cannot make strategies centered around individuals. They should have a philosophy in place and fit the other things in. This is a sub-continent culture where individuals are given preference, which we need to move away from.”