Joe Root unwilling to rest on his laurels ahead of winter of uncertainty

SIMON HUGHES: No longer among the elite batsmen in world cricket, the England Test skipper is willing to become a learner again in an effort to bridge the gap to the big three

• Simon Hughes launches virtual cricket club to support PCA charity
• HUGHES: I know first hand how tough winters can be as a pro, that's why I'm doing my bit for the PCA this year

Joe Root does not consider himself in the same bracket as the leading three batsmen in world Test cricket and will study the trio to better himself this winter. 

Root is something of a cricket badger and nothing – pandemics, being confined to bio-secure bubbles, reduced wages or exclusion from England’s T20 side - is going to interfere with his constant quest for improvement. 

And during a wide-ranging interview in The Analyst Virtual Cricket Club, the Test skipper reaffirmed his intent to enhance his game, partly by taking a look at batting superstars Virat Kohli, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson. 

For the record, he believes India skipper Kohli is the best of the three.

"With the amount of analysis in the game you have to keep evolving," Root said. "You can’t just bat one way all the time. Teams quickly find patterns in the way you get out. Without a total revamp you have to find ways of dealing with that. It’s like a longer version of cat and mouse.

"I really enjoy that challenge. I sent an email to our analyst at the start of this week asking for all my modes of dismissal over the last two years and I want to know if there is any sort of pattern between 0 and 20, and 20 and 50 and say 50 and 80.”

"I try not to measure myself against Kohli, Williamson and Smith. I’m not sure I put myself in their bracket. But I do watch a lot of them play. How they go about constructing innings in the three different formats.

"I look at how late Kane plays the ball. How still and correct he is and how under pressure he totally trusts his defence and mentally doesn’t concede confidence to the bowler. 

^{Joe Root believes he still has some way to go to match the likes of Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson}

"At times Steve Smith is awful to watch, but you’d pay to have him in your team because he’s such a fantastic run-scorer. The way he thinks about and understands his own game and manages passage of play is exceptional; he makes bowlers bowl where he wants them to and his self-confidence and the way he tries to get on top of bowlers are incredible. 

"I think in the next couple of years sides might start doing a lot more different things to him, it will be interesting to see how he evolves. 

"Virat is the most complete player out of the three of them across the three formats. His ability to chase things down in limited-overs, to dissect an innings and pace a run-chase and be not out at the end as often as he does is extraordinary. There is no obvious weakness against spin or pace.

"They are all brilliant players to learn from and I’ve always looked up to AB de Villiers as well especially looking at one day cricket. All you’re looking to do is trying to find things within them that will enhance your game and implement that without trying to be them. Also while studying them you’re looking to try and pick apart their game and think how to keep them as quiet as possible when you’re playing against them."

There are of course players he can learn from in his own team too, like Jos Buttler. Smith recently suggested that the power and innovation Buttler possesses is equalled only by De Villiers. 

"Jos is the most compete white-ball batsmen we’ve had ever," Root said. 

"He can play in so many different scenarios, and he can totally demoralise attacks. Knowing there is a guy like that down the order with that ability gives the likes of Jason [Roy], Jonny [Bairstow], me and Morgs [Eoin Morgan], Ben [Stokes] a huge amount of confidence to know we can just go out there and play. He’s a phenomenal player and I don’t think we’ve seen the best of him yet. This summer can unlock doors for him.

"I saw a piece about AB de Villiers and he said it took him 50 Test matches to work out his Test game. I think it will be very similar for Jos (Buttler has played 47 Tests)."

^{Changes to the bubble England were cooped up in during the summer are expected}

Root echoed the words of Morgan in cautioning how players like Buttler are managed this winter, with the demands of constantly living in bio-secure bubbles and very little time at home liable to affect mental and physical health. 

"Playing in the bubble does wear you down, being away from family, being in such a high-intensity environment for such a long time," he added.

"You can’t even do little things like go to the shops or go out and play golf. Staying in hotels on the ground, you wake up at 5.30 am because the groundstaff are mowing the outfield. You open the curtains and there’s the ground you can’t seem to get away from the game which you need especially if you’ve had a rough day the day before. It can have a significant effect.

"There are a number of guys who have played in the bubble all summer, gone straight to the IPL and will then have to get straight on a plane to South Africa (for the one-dayers recently announced in November). 

"Then they’ll get two weeks at home over Christmas – partly isolating, before off to Sri Lanka and then India if those tours go ahead. That does not give enough time to be human beings in my eyes – you’ve got to allow people to recharge and refresh themselves. 

"There will be times when players have to be honest and say they’re finding things quite hard and captains and management and senior players will have to understand that’s part and parcel of the current climate that we’re playing in. It might be that we have to get through this winter without having our best XI and best squad available for the whole period."

England will start their preparations for the South Africa series the week after next in a specially erected marquee on the square at the ECB Academy at Loughborough.

Joe Root was speaking at The Analyst’s Virtual Cricket Club in aid of the Professional Cricketer’s Trust. Next week’s guest is Stuart Broad.