Tuesday 17 January 2017 10:20, UK
England batsman Joe Root has declared himself unavailable for the Indian Premier League (IPL) in order to spend more time with his newborn son.
The 26-year-old, who is favourite to become England Test captain should Alastair Cook step down, is one of the most sought-after batsmen of his era and has reportedly attracted attention from several franchises in the lucrative Twenty20 league.
But Root, who delayed his departure to India for England's current limited-overs series in order to be at the birth of his child, has turned down the chance to be involved in the tournament, which gets underway on April 5.
"It is a shame because there is a really good window in the international calendar to play. But looking at the schedule, especially next winter, I am going to be away for long periods," Root said.
"This will be a great opportunity to spend time at home and watch (son) Alfred grow up a little bit. A lot of great things would come from the IPL, a lot of great experiences and I am sure it would help to improve my game.
"But at the moment being at home is my priority and I want to make sure I do not miss out on that. It is quite tough being away in these early days so it will be nice to catch up."
Root also turned down the chance to play in the IPL last year in order to focus on his England career along with team-mate Ben Stokes.
Root made 78 in England's three-wicket loss to India in Sunday's first ODI. The second game of the three-match series gets underway in Cuttack on Thursday.
