JOE ROOT has gone from facing the Baggy Greens to acing on much smaller ones – as he bunkers up like the rest of us during the coronavirus pandemic.
England’s cricket skipper showed off a different type of hat-trick with some nifty holes-in-one amid some makeshift gargen golf.
Old habits die hard, though, as Root lined up SIX balls for his impressive attempt at knocking them into a cap.
The Yorkshire batsman broke the dress codes of both sports as he wore shorts.
But he displayed his characteristic concentration while putting – as the country’s sporting superstars, like the rest of us, search for new ways to pass the time in the lockdown.
Root and Co, England men’s centrally contracted players, have just made an “initial” £500,000 donation to the ECB = 20% of three months’ wages.
It’s their first major step in helping to fund the fightback against Covid-19, with the money targeted for vital causes.
Paceman Mark Wood summed up the thinking, saying top cricketers must do the “right thing” and be “role models”.
The Durham star, 30, told BBC Sport: “We were unanimous in wanting to help out.
“We have obligations as professional sportsmen to be role models.
“But it is the people on the front line who are the real superheroes, doing an amazing job.”
The England women’s squad have taken a similar percentage pay cut for the same length of time, to match that of their coaches and support staff.
Meanwhile, for Root, it was perhaps a case of putting his money where his mouth is.
