by Arunabha Sengupta
Fred Root was born on April 16, 1890, at Somercotes, Derbyshire.
In 1936, he wrote: “If I had my life all over again, I would become a professional cricketer with the reservation that I would, if such a thing were possible, persuade my mother to be on a visit to Harrogate, or anywhere in Yorkshire, when the happy event of my birth was due to take place!
“Also instead of having my left hand tied behind me when giving preference to it as a means of transferring food form my dinner plate to my mouth, I should advocate the very opposite order of things.
“To be Yorkshire-born and left-handed is the ideal combination to be sought at the beginning of his career by the would-be successful cricket professional.”
Root’s grip for in-swing.
Unfortunately, it’s his right hand
Root was the father of leg theory. It was his idea to bowl inswingers to batsmen with a field loaded with men close enough to pick the batsman’s pocket on the leg-side, while two or three more patrolled the leg outfield. He troubled many a batsman that way, including the 1926 Australians.
Harold Larwood and the others added speed to his formula and made it more lethal.
Root himself ended with 1512 wickets at 21.11, playing first-class cricket for more than two decades. He even appeared in three Tests for England and captured 8 wickets.
However, he wanted to be born in Yorkshire and grow left-handed. That, to him, was the best bet if one wanted to live his life as a bowler.
Ted Peate, Bobby Peel, Wilfred Rhodes, George Hirst, Roy Kilner, Hedley Verity … and after Root’s wistful proclamation of 1936, Johnny Wardle …
Root had his reasons.
Fred Root was born on April 16, 1890