Top 50 Joe Root Quotes

You want to be busy and try and get the scoreboard moving, and showing that intent when you go out there is important.

As a captain I think tactically I’ve been quite good.

You have to have a laugh and a joke. If you spend five days playing a Test match and so much time together off the field, it’s important to keep morale high.

In the past, I found myself on occasions not playing the game at the speed that suits me. I need to make sure I’m in control of what is going on out there as much as I can.

All we can do as players and ambassadors of the game is try to set an example, playing in the right way and make it as entertaining as possible for people watching.

Every now and then you might have to change things around. It’s not something that is good to do a lot – especially with your batting – but every now and then, I don’t think it’s a bad thing.

Michael Vaughan gave me his old thigh pad when he retired. It was in my kitbag for a long time.

It’s not about how many games we win with me as captain, it’s about us being consistently getting better over a long period of time and looking to be that number one side in the world.

I just need to find the best version of myself. Find improvements to what I’ve already got, rather than trying to remodel my game.

I used to see Michael Vaughan play at the club and then to watch him captain England was inspiring.

There’s always things you want to get better at and learn from but that’s something that’s quite hard to instil in players.

You try to make sure you have respect for the opposition but still play to win and play hard cricket.

That was my upbringing: you treat people with respect.

You’re always trying to find ways of getting guys in positions in which they will be comfortable.

I do a lot of free weights in the gym, with lots of squats, lunges and push-pull exercises to help develop strength and power.

We have to be prepared to play some attritional cricket at times.

We’ve seen guys in the sport, like Steve Smith and Virat Kohli, who have actually benefited from the captaincy.

As a batter you are generally playing a mental game most of the time and having too long to prepare can work against you – you can almost fry yourself out before a Test match or feel slightly fatigued two games in because you have spent too long preparing.

I still like to think I have a pretty good laugh with the other guys in the dressing room and still enjoy a beer and the odd night out.

We think it is a really important part of your journey, as an international player, that you come in and you want it to feel like it’s the pinnacle of the game. That you want to come back into that environment. You don’t want to think, ‘Well, I’d much prefer playing for Sussex,’ or your county.

I just want to represent England whether it is in the middle, at the top or wherever. If it means opener then great but I’m not too fussed about it. I just want to be in the side.

I have been given a fantastic opportunity to captain the Test side and will continue to work very hard at doing my best at that.

What batsmen like me do for fitness is often a bit different to what bowlers like Jimmy Anderson or Stuart Broad do but everyone in the squad has a big focus on core strength. It is really important for batting, bowling and fielding. You need a strong core and spine so your movement isn’t restricted out there.

There is nothing wrong with being gay.

The important thing is to stay very strong with my natural game.

Jos has been the most complete white-ball batsman we’ve had ever. The way he can play a number of different scenarios. He can just demoralise attacks and very quickly swing games massively in your favour.

I’d love to go and visit Pakistan. It would be a great opportunity to go and play there personally. Unfortunately, it’s not my decision to make, but it looks a wonderful country to go and play cricket in.

I played my first game of adult cricket at about eight or nine when the fifth team were short and picked me to field and bat at No 11. From then I just got the bug and wanted to play as often as possible.

From the age of six I used to watch every England team and when I was messing around in the backyard I would pretend to be whoever was scoring runs at the time, whether they were a right or left-hander. I just wanted to be them and do that.

I’ve always wanted to play Test cricket from a young age and that’s what you dream about. But you have to make sure you can contribute regardless of the format.

Something people might not know about me is, I like playing the guitar.

When you go to Australia you are always asked whether you can perform in hostile environments against high pace and every Australian side I have played against has had guys bowling over 90mph.

If you’re playing against someone, you always want them playing flat out and at their best – so when you are successful you know you’ve produced a really good performance.

You can sometimes bowl extremely well and get no reward.

I don’t get too fussy about food around games. It is more just a case of making sure I get some fuel on board. But I quite enjoy poached eggs and toast in the morning so I often go for that before training.

There are always different areas in the game you want to develop. For me it’s my all-round game in different conditions in different places in the world.

When I’m waiting to bat I try to watch the game and make sure I know what is going on so I am ready when I get out there but I spend a lot of time hydrating. It is very important for your performance and concentration. If it is cold I might have a coffee but mainly I am trying to stay really hydrated.

In terms of pace, every captain wants pace in their attack.

I’m known as tidy, I like to keep my stuff in order.

Coming off the field and having a young family, it’s very easy to distract yourself.

Time has never really been an issue in Test cricket, especially in the modern game where things naturally move quicker than they have in the past.

Sometimes people say things on the field that they might regret, but they should stay on the field.

You can never really replicate the dressing-room environment and building something as a group of players.

This game can be brutal. As soon as you get comfortable, it bites you. You have to stay on it all the time.

I am slightly better at sleeping now during Test matches. I have a diary and I write things down, which helps. I write about decisions, a lot about opposition and stuff I want to say to the team so I am clear on the message I want to give.

From a young age I’ve always known my game pretty well and coming from a club like Yorkshire you are generally taught to say what you think. If you don’t say what you think then someone else does.

I like to think I’ll be quite instinctive as a leader.

You have to enjoy winning and being part of a successful team, just being a young bloke. But at the same time you want to be back page and not front page news and be spoken about for your cricket and contributing to winning rather than getting it wrong on a night out.

I want England to do well. I want us to go to World Cups and win. If I’m not in the best eleven or the best squad, so be it. I’ll support whoever’s involved all the way through.

Unfortunately I am a human being and not a robot.