As England’s batting coach for a good deal of Joe Root’s first spell as Test captain, I saw directly how conscientious he was in the role. It was impossible not to feel for him at the end, when results dried up and he was almost alone on a burning deck.
Whenever I am asked who my favourite current cricketer is, I struggle to look beyond Root. He is such a grounded individual and clearly a fabulous player. He is also his own best coach, always first in the nets and last out of them, forever thinking about his game and how to improve those one-percenters.
