Chris Morris hails Joe Root’s impact at Paarl Royals

Root, who’s just been re-appointed England captain for a second stint, played for the Paarl Royals in Season 3 of the competition, and has now been brought back by the franchise as one of their pre-signings for Season 5. Morris says while Root is obviously one of the greatest players to ever play the game, he made it easy for his teammates and younger players to approach him.

"It speaks for itself, the pedigree that he brings. I always talk about the impact that players have in the changeroom, and speaking to the Paarl Royals team after that tournament in which I played, they all said the same thing. He came in, and there were no egos about it. He almost arrived not knowing he was one of the best players to ever do it," said Morris

"When you've got a guy that's, if not the greatest to ever bat that England's produced, walking into the changeroom and he feels like he's one of the boys with no ego, it has an impact on you."

Morris says he’s only heard good reviews about Root from some of his teammates at Paarl Royals, who all say he was always willing to listen and give advice when needed. He added that the 35-year-old doesn’t only possess unbelievable ability on the cricket field, but is also a good human being to have around.

Root’s predecessor as England captain Ben Stokes has never played in the SA20 in all of its four previous seasons, and Morris believes he would be a great addition to the upcoming season having retired from international cricket in June.