‘He was someone that I would be shadowing all the time’: Joe Root reflects on bond with Kevin Pietersen

Birmingham: England Test captain Joe Root has backed the appointment of Kevin Pietersen as a specialist mentor for the national white-ball squads, praising his former teammate's tactical acumen and wealth of international experience.

Root, the sole remaining international player from Pietersen's era with England, recalled shadowing the explosive batsman early in his career—particularly during the pivotal 2012/13 Test series victory in India.

"I am probably the last player to have played with him still going. I really enjoyed him as a senior player coming into the team. He was someone that I would be shadowing all the time. That first Tour of India (2012/13) in particular, I tried to buddy up with him in the nets, watch how he practised, watch how he did things, ask him for advice and he was really open, really honest, very helpful in terms of how to get the best out of my game against spin," Root stated ahead of the third Test against Pakistan.

"If he can offer that kind of stuff in a coaching capacity as he did as a senior player then I think it's really going to benefit us as a group," he added.

Looking ahead to upcoming white-ball commitments, including the target of next year’s One-Day International World Cup, Root highlighted Pietersen’s candid approach and deep understanding of the modern game as major assets for the squad.

"I think you want people to give their honest opinion. Why would you get him involved if you don’t want him to tell you what he thinks and to give you better insight into the game," Root remarked.

"He is very knowledgeable, he has got a very good understanding of batting in particular and he's got a huge amount of energy. So, I think he's going to be great for the group and I'm really looking forward to getting him involved," Root added.

Turning his attention to the red-ball format, Root dismissed suggestions that England's 2-0 lead over Pakistan reflected an easy series. Heading into the final Test at Edgbaston, the skipper rejected narratives labelling the contest as one-sided.

"Absolutely we have found (Pakistan) a challenge. I think that's a bit disrespectful to both Pakistan as a team and to us as a team. I don't think we've allowed them to get into games because of how well we've played as well and how quickly we've read the situations and the surfaces that we've had," he said.

"I think it's very easy to say one team is excellent and one team is poor. Normally it's somewhere in the middle," Root added.

Emphasising that the squad will avoid any complacency despite their unassailable series lead, Root insisted England remain fully focused on the task at hand.

"Regardless of what's happened over the last two games, this week it's a completely different proposition for us. There's a very talented group of players in that dressing room and you've got to be ready for it, so we'll make sure that we are," Root concluded. (ANI)