Joe Root intends to be “natural and instinctive” in his new role as England Test captain and will strive to hit the levels reached by his Australian and Indian counterparts – Steve Smith and Virat Kohli – when he walks out to the middle with bat in hand.
Speaking for the first time since taking over from Alastair Cook, under whom he served an 18-month apprenticeship as vice-captain, Root pledged to put his personal stamp on a side he described as having a blend of experience and raw talent. Enjoyment, for players and the paying public, will be his overriding mantra.
“This is the biggest honour in the game,” said Root, who confirmed he had no hesitation in accepting the role when offered it by Andrew Strauss, the director of England cricket, on Sunday – a phone call that came while he was changing the nappy of his one-month-old son, Alfred.
“I’d like to be a captain that wins, with a team that is tough to play against and enjoyable to watch. It should be entertaining cricket and that’s something I want to get across to the team and the people watching. I think it suits the way we play. The more I can get that across, the better. I just want to be very natural and instinctive.”
The 26-year-old said he felt as ready as he can be for the additional responsibility given just a handful of matches leading Yorkshire – his 53 Test caps, he said, would be key – and hoped his upbeat approach, along with that of his vice-captain, Ben Stokes, would not change.
Asked whether he would be prepared to get tough on his players when required, Root, speaking at his club’s home ground of Headingley, replied: “I’d like to think so, yes. That’s part of the role and I’m sure there will be the odd occasion when that happens. It’s not something that I’m worried about.”
Root described the new role as a motivation to increase his personal returns with the bat – only three of his last 17 Test scores in excess of 50 turned into hundreds – and used the examples of Smith and Kohli, who average 73.73 and 67.22 as captains respectively, as opposed to 51.83 and 41.13 when in the ranks, as the men to emulate in this regard.
He said: “In the past the more responsibility I’ve been given I’ve stepped up to that and taken it in my stride. Looking around the world, other guys in a similar position to me have taken their game to the next level, so I’d like to think if I go about it the right way I’ll be able to do the same. I need to make sure I do everything I can to get my batting in the best place possible and set the example for the rest of the guys in the team.”
While keen to be heavily involved in selection, Root’s reign will not start until 6 July against South Africa at Lord’s – the first of seven summer Tests before the defence of the Ashes in Australia – with the time until then being used to consult with past captains, including Cook, and ponder such issues as his own place in the batting order.
Playing-wise, Root will slot in under the limited-overs captain, Eoin Morgan, as the one-day side builds up to the Champions Trophy in June, starting with the tour of the Caribbean at the end of the month.
On Cook, who at 32 intends to continue his Test career for another four or five years, Root said: “I don’t think he’ll be the sort of person who will try to get in the way. But he’ll be there to offer help and advice. He’ll be a natural leader as a senior player within the team. It excites me that it’s not the end for him. It’s a great opportunity for him to go and break every record going and show everyone what a good player he is.
“I’d like to think we have 11 guys who think about the team as captains and one guy who ultimately goes out there and does it. I think we’ve a great squad of players, not just 11, and it’s nice to be given the responsibility to lead a talented bunch. I just want to put my stamp on things and hopefully that can help us improve and develop and become a better team.”
Root conceded a need to balance his workload given occasional back problems in the past and to remain honest with the management in this regard. Strauss confirmed Stokes, as vice-captain, would step up in his absence but said an injury that spanned a series or tour could lead to another candidate being considered.
Discussing his choice of Root for the captaincy, Strauss said: “What really impressed me was just how clear he was in his mind about how the England team should operate going forward – the style of play, where we need to improve and some really developed thinking around the dressing room itself.”
