England skipper Joe Root has insisted that he is experienced enough to take on the role of leading his side, despite having just four first-class games as captain under his belt.
The 26-year-old was named as Alastair Cook's successor on Monday after being given the nod by the England and Wales Cricket Board over the likes of Stuart Broad and Ben Stokes.
Much has been made of Root's relative infancy on the big stage, having led England Lions once and Yorkshire three times, but he is confident that he has the skills required to guide his side into a new era.
"I've played 50-odd Test matches now and I think that counts for a lot," he told Sky Sports News. "I think it's very different, Test cricket to county cricket. I've added that responsibility of the vice-captaincy.
"Even though I haven't been captain I've been trying to think like a captain to try to help Cooky out, and add value where I can to the bowlers or anyone in the team. I'd like to think that's how a lot of the guys will go about their business going forwards as well.
"It feels amazing. It's been a very special couple of days. As a young kid you always aspire to be England captain. It's the pinnacle of the Test arena. It's always something you aspire to do."
Root, previously vice-captain since May 2015, has scored 4,594 runs since he made his Test debut in December 2012.
Daniel Lewis
