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Joe Root vs Steve Smith

The full picture, side by side: honours, records, money and the numbers fans actually argue about.

Joe RootJoe Root Steve SmithSteve Smith
CricketSportCricket
EnglandNationalityAustralia
30 December 1990BornJune 2, 1989
1.83 m / 6 ft 0 inHeight1.75 m / 5 ft 9 in
$10MNet worth-
2Major honours5
1Records2

Career Numbers

166Test Matches-
189ODI Matches-
32T20I Matches-
14,114Test Runs10,763
7,577ODI Runs5,800
50.73Test Batting Average-
-T20 Runs1,000+
-Test Average60+
-ODI Average40+

Honours Side by Side

Joe Root (2)

  • England Test Captain
  • Most Test runs in 2021

Steve Smith (5)

  • ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year
  • ICC Test Player of the Year
  • ICC ODI Player of the Year
  • Ashes Series Winner
  • ICC World Cup Winner

The Case for Each

Steve Smith brings the heavier trophy cabinet: 5 documented honours against 2 for Joe Root. Silverware is not the whole story, but it is the first line of any cricket argument.

On records, Steve Smith holds 2 documented marks to 1 for Joe Root. The headline entry: Most runs in a calendar year. Records show peaks; honours show sustained dominance. The two lists rarely agree on a winner, which is exactly why this debate refuses to die.

Put the raw numbers side by side and the picture sharpens. Joe Root shows 14,114 in test runs; Steve Smith answers with 10,763. Context matters: different leagues, different eras and different roles all bend a stat line, so treat the gap as a conversation starter rather than a verdict.

Put the raw numbers side by side and the picture sharpens. Joe Root shows 7,577 in odi runs; Steve Smith answers with 5,800. Context matters: different leagues, different eras and different roles all bend a stat line, so treat the gap as a conversation starter rather than a verdict.

Cricket commands fanatical audiences from London to Mumbai to Melbourne, and its greats are worshipped like few athletes anywhere. The sport spans five-day Tests and three-hour T20 blockbusters, demanding entirely different skills across its formats. Its star batters and bowlers are national icons. That backdrop is what makes a matchup like this one resonate beyond the box scores.

Full, current detail lives on each profile: Joe Root and Steve Smith track stats, honours and news daily on AthleteWiki.

Full profiles: Joe Root · Steve Smith