Quotes from Joe Root

Teams quickly find trends in ways you get out. If you get out in similar fashion on three or four occasions, teams will be using that as a weapon to get you out.

I have a short, home-made armguard because I don't like the regular ones. I'd wear that on a lively pitch. I don't use a chest guard because I find it too restrictive.

I want to make contributions that help us win Test matches rather than put us in positions where we have to play extremely well to win.

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.

To score runs you have to be pragmatic.

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.

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.

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.

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.

It's tough to take, losing the Ashes. It's bitterly disappointing.

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

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 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.

Whenever I go through any sort of bad patch, I remind myself that part of the game of cricket is God testing you.

Every player wants to see the game grow and flourish so it would be great to be able to help do that by achieving something very special.

I've played a lot of cricket at Trent Bridge over the years, and have had a lot of fond memories there.

I love playing five days of cricket; personally, I think it's the best format.

Make sure you look after people around you and it holds you in good stead going forward in terms of leadership. Look at all the best leaders and they have those qualities.

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.

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.

If you look round the world, most teams want guys who can bowl up at 90 mph because they can make things happen when it isn't doing much.

My first bat was a Duncan Fearnley 405, size two. I was aged about four. I loved that bat, such great memories. I gave it to a family member and never saw it again.

I'm not a massive reader, to be honest. I try and fill my time with other things. But I remember getting halfway through a book once. It was 'The Client' by John Grisham, which was quite interesting.