Joe Root hopes Alastair Cook stays as England captain in long-term
Monday 10 August 2015 07:15, UK
Joe Root is happy to disagree with anyone who says the time has arrived for him to take over from Alastair Cook as England's Test captain.
The batsman, now ranked best in the world, expects 30-year-old Cook to carry on at the head of England's team for many years to come despite suggestions he might decide to go out on the high of regaining the Ashes.
Root played a large part in that Ashes victory, hitting a century in the series-deciding win at Trent Bridge, and although he has been tabbed as captain-in-waiting, he is happy to continue in his role of vice-captain for now.
"As far as captaincy is concerned, Cooky has done exceptionally well," said Root.
"He's just won the Ashes for the second time in three attempts, so I hope he'll be in charge of us for a long time.
"He has been a fantastic captain throughout the series and throughout this summer, as he was before that.
"There have been times when we haven't backed him up, but thankfully this series we have - and we hope that will continue."
Root's comments come the day after England made sure the Ashes would be back in their possession in Nottingham, and he admitted trying to wipe out the pain of defeat in Australia in 2013-14 had made him even more determined to have a successful series.
"I can't speak for other people, but personally that was the inspiration," Root added.
"Knowing what we went through there - all that hurt and pain, all the stuff we've had to overcome since then - I think the way we have handled ourselves has been brilliant, and it's shown by the performances we've put in on the field."
"That was a tough tour - so when you get into a position of strength out in the middle and you know what it's like to be on the wrong side of it, you want to make sure you drive it home.
"You want to make sure you're not in that position again. That's something that has always been in the back of my mind. It's definitely one of the reasons why this is so enjoyable."
Root says he is thrilled to have moved up to No 1 in the world rankings, ahead of Steve Smith, but he would have swapped it for team success if it had come down to a choice between the two.
"My game is nowhere near perfect," he said. "I have a lot of things I want to work on ... (but) you don't get a better feeling than this.
"You have personal goals. But it is nowhere near the front of my mind. It's about having days like this and being part of something as special as this with this group of players. It's been such a complete team performance."
