Sporting Life columnist Ryan Sidebottom talks Joe Root, County Cricket, the IPL and Jofra Archer
Former England and Yorkshire fast bowler Ryan Sidebottom is back to discuss Jofra Archer, the IPL and Joe Root's promising recent form.
Promising signs for Root and Yorkshire
Jet lag really is a thing! Having recently returned from a lovely holiday to Las Vegas and Nashville, I can barely keep my eyes open past seven o'clock at night.
Nevertheless, despite the bitter cold weather in Yorkshire at the moment, I can sense summer is just around the corner with the Cricket World Cup and the Ashes creeping ever closer.
The county season is in full flow now with the Championship and the Royal London One-Day Cup already well under way and with such a huge few months ahead, you'd have to be pleased with the start Joe Root has made with the bat for Yorkshire.
Following a busy spell with England and the Big Bash, Joe really looks to have benefited from missing the IPL and having a good break to freshen up physically and mentally.
We all know what a vital player Joe is for England with the World Cup and Ashes dominating the next few months and he looks to have the started the season in great touch, making a couple of fifties and a big hundred against a very good Nottinghamshire attack.
His presence was clearly a big boost for Yorkshire in the early part of the season and I have been really impressed with my old club so far, particularly in red-ball cricket.
I think lots of people would have looked at their squad at the beginning of the season and said that they were too inexperienced to compete in a very strong Division One but I think they have proved already that they will be a match for anyone.
They had a really good win against a strong Hampshire side who had won their opening match and as I have said before, if a side gets on a roll in Division One, they can quickly gain some momentum and string some results together.
Yorkshire have started well and should be really happy with where they are in red-white cricket but their white-ball form has been less encouraging and I genuinely can't put my finger on why.
They have the players to be a very good outfit in the shorter forms of the game but just need to find the right formula.
With the County Championship still all to play for and the Vitality Blast coming up later in the year, there is still time for that to happen.
IPL riches
There has certainly been plenty of domestic action to keep a close eye on but I've also been watching the ongoing Indian Premier League with interest and it's been great to see Sam Curran, Harry Gurney and Jonny Bairstow all do so well.
I worked closely with Sam at Surrey last year and it's lovely to see him go on to make his mark on the global stage, firstly for England last summer and now in the IPL.
Harry is also making a name for himself around the world with his excellent death bowling and I have so much respect for any bowler performing well in white-ball cricket in a day and age where the rules are so heavily in favour of the batsman.
As a fellow left-arm seamer, it's nice to see Harry doing well but I do think it's shame that he isn't available for Nottinghamshire in the County Championship anymore as he looks to explore his options on the T20 circuit. It's a shame and a worrying trend for English cricket going forward but I can certainly understand the position players like Harry are in.
You only get one career and for a fast bowler it may not be a long one so you have to look after your future when you can.
Looking at the IPL and similar tournaments around the world, with the huge amounts of money on offer, I do look back and wonder if I missed the boat a little. It would have been great to experience and play in some of those fantastic competitions and my death bowling might have come in handy!
Someone who would have excelled on the T20 circuit is Darren Gough, one of the best death bowlers of all time with his brilliant inswinging yorkers, and someone who always delivered when the pressure was on. He would certainly be in demand at any auctions!
Archer given chance to shine
I can't finish this week's column without having a word on Jofra Archer, or as I call him, 'the freak.'
He really is a freak, a massive talent who has made his name in domestic events around the world with his raw pace and brilliant all-round ability.
I know there's been a lot of talk about whether he should be in England's World Cup squad or not but I have to say that I think England have got it right in leaving Archer out of the initial World Cup squad but giving him the chance to prove himself against Pakistan this month.
Clearly, you want to pick the best team to try and win a World Cup but you also have a squad of players to think about, the same squad who have worked so hard to get England to number one in the world in 50-over cricket over the last two years.
You have to do your time and for me, England have done the right thing in giving him the chance to integrate himself into the side and prove his worth.
I'm sure he will do just that but he hasn't played a lot of 50-over cricket in his career - his reputation is built on his T20 exploits - and he's been playing Division Two cricket in England for Sussex.
He's clearly a big talent with a huge future but England are right to play the long game for now.
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