Joe Root Pre Test Headingley

Neil Whitaker reports

 BEFORE the first  Rothesay Test Joe Root  back as England Test captain 

said: “I'm really excited. We’ve got  a very talented group of players who  are very capable of special things and I’m  really excited about where we can take this team. I don't think there's a huge amount that we need to change. I think it's small things that will make a big difference, and it's not about ripping it up.

Root doesn’t think that his appointment means the end of Bazball. “I think you've got to be adaptable, you've got to play the situation in the different tempos of the game. You know, it's never the same throughout the five  days. There are different challenges and you've got to adjust to the different ebs and flows of it throughout that period.

Ultimately, of course, when you get your opportunity, you want to put teams under pressure, and you want to find ways of driving the game forward, but that might look different in different circumstances.”

After the drinking exploits in the past few months Root has scrapped the curfew for the England players.   “I want the guys  to take responsibility on the field, and be grown up off the field.”

He  believes that he has changed since he was first made captain.  “I'm a very different  person than I was when I took over as captain. I'm in a very fortunate and unique position in that  I've got 60 odd games of experience.”

Does he think that ex-England captain Ben Stokes will play for England again? “Who knows that’s  a question  for him  down the line. But we  need to look after the hear and now, and that's this series.  In  the short term, Dan Lawrence comes in as that all rounder. Dan's been an exceptional player for Surrey throughout the whole season. He's played some brilliant innings and is in great form and I think is a very underrated bowler.”

In  the short term, Dan Lawrence comes in as that all rounder. Dan's been an exceptional player for Surrey throughout the whole season and they’ve been amazing. He's played some brilliant innings and is in great form and I think is a very underrated bowler.”