"The big driver for me is how many times I can contribute to winning games" - Joe Root not focusing on milestones
England's ace batter Joe Root has asserted that he is not thinking about milestones even as he is on the cusp of becoming the country's most prolific run-getter in Tests. Instead, Root claimed that he is focused on winning as many matches for England as possible.
With 12,402 runs, the Yorkshire batter is only 71 adrift of overtaking Sir Alastair Cook's tally of 12,472 as England's all-time top scorer in Tests. The classy right-handed batter is also the closest in the current generation to crossing Sachin Tendulkar's all-time record tally of 15,921.
Speaking at a presser on Saturday, Root said the biggest motivation for him is how many games he can help England win. As quoted by India Today, he said:
"I think, more than anything, you judge yourself based on how many games you can affect and how many games you can win for the team. The big driver for me is how many times I can contribute to winning games for England. If with that mindset, I am trying to be successful in whatever conditions are in front of me, that is a good enough driver for me. I want to keep enjoying myself and keep playing. I look at enjoying that at the moment."
The former England captain had broken Cook's record of 33 tons during the home summer this year. With 34 Test centuries, he has the most tons among batters currently active.
"I see myself playing Test cricket for a lot longer" - Joe Root
The veteran added that he sees no end line in sight just yet and claimed he is loving the vibe of the current team. The Yorkshire cricketer added:
"The only reason that comes to my mind is people keep asking about it. I see myself playing Test cricket for a lot longer. It’s not like I am going to get to a certain number or mark and stop, I just want to keep playing and enjoying the game. It’s a great team to play in, we have so much fun on and off the field. As long as that remains, I will have the drive to keep playing and keep helping the team win matches."
England's opening Test against Pakistan begins on October 7 in Multan.