Root prizes his deputy’s presence not just for his born match-winning ability with bat, ball and in the field – but because they have spent much of the past 15 years sharing a cricket field with one another, initially in opposition and increasingly as hugely familiar and trusted team-mates. For those reasons, Root had no hesitation nominating the mercurial all-rounder as his preferred vice-captain after he himself was offered the top job last weekend to succeed Alastair Cook – and happily, England and Wales Cricket Board director Andrew Strauss was of like mind too.