It’s a claim every cricket fan has heard somewhere: “I saw him play years ago, and I just knew.” For England cricketing legend Joe Root, this was more than just a boast. It was a simple prediction, one he made after a chance encounter on a sun-drenched island, and it involved a boy who wasn't even a teenager. The story begins over a decade ago, during an England tour of the Caribbean Islands. After an ODI in Bridgetown, Barbados, Root stayed on for a brief holiday with his family. The trip took a personal turn thanks to a piece of family history. Root’s father, Matthew, had spent years playing club cricket in England with a man named Graham Bethell, who now lived on the island. The two old friends arranged a reunion. This casual visit led Root to a local sports field, where Graham’s son, a 10-year-old Jacob, was playing in an under-12s match. The sight that greeted Root was almost comical. "He was half the size of everyone else," Root remembered. But any thoughts of the boy being outmatched vanished as soon as Jacob started batting. He played with a grace and timing that belied his small frame, effortlessly scoring a century. Root watched, transfixed. "He just had everything," he said during a podcast with Stick to Cricket. "Like he had all the shots. Even though he might not have had the power, he could hit the ball," added Root. The natural talent was undeniable. The impression only deepened later at the Bethell family home. The scene was a perfect portrait of a budding cricketer's life. First, Jacob was outside, diligently knocking a ball on a string, rehearsing his shots with focus. But later, Root noticed the boy had disappeared. Curious, he went inside to check on him. He found the ten-year-old Jacob absorbed in an episode of Grand Designs, a show about ambitious architecture. For Root, this was the final, convincing detail. The boy possessed a quiet maturity and concentration that was remarkable for his age. He was, as Root later described, "an old soul." The entire experience left a powerful mark on the England star. Root was so convinced of Jacob's destiny that he took action as soon as he returned to England. "I tried to get Yorkshire to sign him," he revealed, personally recommending the young prodigy to the management at his home county. He believed so strongly in the boy from Barbados that he wanted to bring him into the professional system immediately. While Yorkshire did not ultimately sign him, as Jacob would later attend Rugby School and join the Warwickshire academy, Root never forgot the tiny boy with the big talent. Their story came full circle years later in the most poetic way imaginable. In an ODI for England, Joe Root walked out to bat. His partner at the other end was none other than a grown-up Jacob Bethell. From the non-striker's end, Root had the best seat in the house as the player he had discovered hammered his maiden international century during a match against South Africa. After the game, Root’s assessment reflected his feelings from a decade prior. "[Jacob] is wise beyond his years and very clear how he wants to play," he said. The circle was complete. The journey that began in Barbados had reached its first major milestone, with the man who first believed in him standing right by his side.
