Former Australian fast bowler Rodney Hogg has launched a stinging verbal attack on England's star batsman Joe Root, predicting he will be a 'total failure' during the highly anticipated Ashes series in Australia.
The 'Average Joe' Accusation
The war of words was ignited by Australian newspaper The West Australian, which labelled the Yorkshireman, who is the second-highest run scorer in Test cricket history, as 'Average Joe'. The publication scrutinised Root's performance on Australian soil, branding him a 'pretender in Australia' and a 'dud Root'.
The criticism is rooted in a stark statistical reality: from 14 Tests in Australia, Root has managed an average of just 35 runs and has never scored a century in an Away Ashes series.
Hogg's Technical Critique
Hogg, who took 123 wickets in 38 Tests for Australia, has now amplified the criticism. Speaking to Channel 10 Sport, the former bowler delivered a brutal assessment of Root's technique.
'His technique does not work in Australia,' Hogg stated bluntly. 'He plays the ball under his nose and likes to glide the ball down between third slip and gulley. You can’t do that in Australia - you knick those. So his technique does not work in Australia. Joe Root will be their weakness.'
Root's Confident Rebuttal
Despite the damning statistics and criticism, Joe Root appears undaunted. The former England captain believes this tour will be different. He enters the series following a strong summer against India, where he scored a magnificent 150 and two further centuries.
'I feel I am in a different place to when I last went out there,' Root told Sky Sports. 'I haven't got the responsibility of captaincy and I am a lot more experienced. I have had a good couple of years coming in and I have learned good lessons from my previous tours there as a batter and senior player.'
Root also revealed a significant shift in his mental preparation, moving away from a purely technical focus. 'I’m a lot more mentally focused,' he explained. 'I used to be very technical... whereas now I'm a little bit more concerned about how I'm looking at the game, how I'm going to approach different situations.'
With a career average of 40 against Australia and four centuries to his name against the old enemy, all eyes will be on Root to see if his renewed mindset can finally conquer his Australian demons.
