What Smith and Kohli have done excites me, says Joe Root

What Smith and Kohli have done excites me, says Joe Root

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Joe Root, the new England Test captain, says that the added responsibility of captaincy presents him with an exciting opportunity to lead by example. For motivation, he looks up to the two people who've led with a lot of spirit while being absolute lords with the bat - Virat Kohli and Steven Smith.

Root will have a much smoother transition into the role of Test captain than his predecessor Alastair Cook. Firstly, he does not have a Kevin Pietersen to deal with. Also, what Root inherits is, in his own words, "a great blend of experience and raw talent" and a core group that have played 20-30 games." 

"I'm very lucky to have inherited an exciting team who are ready to take some more responsibility," he told ESPNCricinfo.

"I want the guys to enjoy playing cricket. You have 10 to 15 years, you have to enjoy being at the pinnacle of the sport and the more I can get that across to the lads, the more we can have that environment the better.

"I think that suits the make-up of our squad. And it's important for the game too. I just want to be very natural, instinctive and find something that naturally works."

Captaining an international cricket team comes with a huge number of challenges. Many have seen their personal form take a dive after taking up the role. But to stay positive, Root is looking in the right direction. Kohli and Smith, who are also two of the best batsmen in the world right now.

"I do look at what they have done, yes. And that excites me. This is an opportunity for me. It's a great motivator to make sure I do everything I can to get my batting in the best place possible and set the example for the rest of the guys in the team. I like to think that, in the past, the more responsibility I've been given I've stepped up to that and taken it in my stride. Looking around the world, other guys in a similar position to me have taken similar responsibility and taken their game to the next level, so I'd like to think if I go about it the right way I'll be able to do the same thing," said Root.

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