Billy Root is retiring from professional cricket at the age of 34, ending a 14-year career in the professional game. The younger brother of England batter Joe Root put out a message on social media to say he will call time on his playing career at the end of the 2026 season.
Root said he felt the time had come to “hang up my boots” and start the next chapter of his life. It is a career which began in Nottinghamshire and he has since been a county cricket representative for Glamorgan for seven years.
Billy Root Retires after 14 years in the business.
Looking back on his career, Root said that he is grateful to the people who supported him throughout his career in professional cricket. Former teammates, coaches, support staff and fans who supported him through the ups and downs of his career were the people who he thanked for their support, his retirement message stated.
The 34-year-old also paid tribute to his wife and family, and the sacrifices and support they provided during his career. Root said he would not change a thing about his 14 years in professional cricket and was grateful that he had been able to turn his childhood passion into his profession.
Root has had a career largely based on county cricket. He started with Nottinghamshire and moved to Glamorgan, where he established himself as a key member of the Welsh county's squad.
And his seven-year spell with Glamorgan included some great successes. Root came close to 5,000 runs for the county and was part of four trophy-winning campaigns. Two of those wins came in the One-Day Cup and represented silverware for a career that went on for over a decade.
Billy Root Forged His Own Cricketing Identity
Billy Root has been at the heart of the conversation and, naturally, has a close relationship with Joe Root, one of England’s best international cricketers. But Billy, in his own way, set his career apart from the international limelight.
The two brothers shared a cricketing background in their younger years and played for Sheffield Collegiate Cricket Club together. Their careers were different in later life; Joe became an England international, and Billy moved on to county cricket.
Billy also had a brief association with England cricket in 2013. Representing MCC Young Cricketers, he was the 12th man in a Test match at Lord's. Although he didn’t make an international appearance for England, that experience gave him a bit of a taste of the international game.
His professional career was based on his work at county level. His time with Nottinghamshire was the foundation, while his move to Glamorgan was eventually the longest chapter of his career.
Root To Complete 2026 Season With Glamorgan
Though Root has decided to retire, he will not leave professional cricket immediately. Glamorgan confirmed that the batter will remain with the county until the end of the 2026 season.
That means Root will finish his playing career with the team he spent the last seven years of his professional career with. His time with Glamorgan will bring an end to a career that has covered 14 years and included appearances in various forms of county cricket.
Part of Root’s retirement process also marks a personal change after more than a decade of professional sport. He’s very grateful for his playing career and he’s in a new stage now.
And for Glamorgan, his departure will mark the end of an important period. Root has been part of multiple trophy-winning campaigns and has accumulated thousands of runs during his time with the county.
While Joe Root's career took him to the international stage with England, Billy Root's career has been one of building a career within the county game. His retirement at 34 closes a 14-year chapter that started at Nottinghamshire, continued at Glamorgan and featured four trophy-winning campaigns.
Billy Root leaves professional cricket with his own record and memories, having been part of the game he was passionate about from childhood for more than a decade.
