England's Batter Joe Root's Pre-Series Press Conference at Multan Cricket Stadium:
Regarding previous success in Pakistan
"This one, I think, is a really positive sign. So again, trying to ready ourselves for the conditions we're likely to come up against. And I mean, it sort of counts for nothing when the game starts, but it's always nice having that in the back of your mind knowing that you've had success here previously."
Thoughts on reports that Pakistan will be looking to attack with seam
"Yeah, I think you just got to ready yourself for everything, as you say. There's so much talent within their team, and they've got so much skill, and so many different options they can go to.
So, as a player, you just try and ready yourself for all the different possibilities and make sure you're in a good headspace and prepared as best you can be going into the games.
I can say we had good success here last time with a slightly different rhythm to things. So, I think it is different still. It's not conventional swing. A lot of the time, reverse swing plays a big factor.
The Kookaburra ball reacts very differently to the Duke ball, and similarly, the surfaces will have a different sort of feel to them.
So, you just got to play what's in front of you. Be adaptable. Just be ready for whatever it is that's out there when you're out there. And of course, over the five days, it could change drastically. It could be very seam-friendly the first couple of days and very quickly come into something very different."
Thoughts on the Multan pitch
"I have not seen this wicket yet, sorry. I've seen the ends, and they still look quite green. But again, that could change quite drastically over the next couple of days.
And as a player, I mean that's what you pride yourself on—being able to combat whatever it is that's in front of you.
It might be bowler-friendly, and you've got to have the skill level to be able to combat that, find ways of making runs and scoring, and putting a total on the board that's going to win you a game.
So whatever it is, we just got to be ready for it and trust our skill level and our ability as a team to go out there and exploit it with ball in hand and simply try and put pressure back on them when we can with the bat."
Aspirations for the future and Sachin's record
"I think more than anything, I think you judge yourself on how many games you can affect and how many games you can help win. So, I think that's a big driver for me—how many times I can contribute to winning games for England.
And I think if I play with that mindset, and the mindset of trying to be successful in whatever conditions are in front of you, then I think that's a good enough driver for me to keep going, want to keep enjoying it, and keep playing.
So, yes, enjoy that at the moment."
Regarding reaching milestones (Alistair Cook's record)
"The only reason that is on my mind is because people keep asking me about it, to be honest, but not really.
I see myself playing Test cricket for a lot longer.
It's not like I'm going to get to a certain mark or a number and say, 'Right, I'm done now.' I just want to keep enjoying the game, keep playing. It's a great team to play in.
We have so much fun on and off the field together. We really enjoy it. And as long as that's the feeling that I have inside, I think I'll have plenty of drive and determination to keep going. And like I say, keep trying to help England win Test matches."
Will a 0-3 result be the only acceptable one given Pakistan's recent form?
"No, we know how good Pakistan are as a team and the ability and skill level they have. I think you've got to have full respect for that. And in their own conditions, in particular, they've got a number of players that are match-winners and are capable of doing very special things in Test cricket. I think as a team, all you can do is play what's right in front of you.
You can't be looking at three Test matches ahead. So much can happen in that space of time, and the landscape could look very different in three games' time.
So, it's really important that you just focus yourself and ready yourself for that first game and the next five days that are ahead of us and make sure you put the performance in that hopefully gets you ahead in the series and, you know, go from there.
So, I don't think the focus will be on the end result, but on how we're going to get there. That's going to be the most important thing. How are we going to tackle the conditions that we're presented with? How are we going to take our 20 wickets and make those big scores that are going to put Pakistan under pressure with the bat?
So, I think that will be the main focus of the group. And clearly, if we do that well for three games, we should be in a really good spot."
Are England ready for a green-top wicket with a bowling attack that does not have Jimmy Anderson, Ollie Robinson, or Mark Wood?
"I think it's an exciting prospect, having a completely new attack. It's a great opportunity for us to grow and develop as a Test squad and to try something very different. I think for a long time before that last series here, we generally had a very similar attack in all conditions.
And for us to now have a slightly different way of looking at the game and approaching things and trying to exploit what's right in front of us is a really exciting way to look at the game. And it's a great opportunity for this group to do things differently again. And, you know, those sorts of chances and opportunities that come around really excite the group. You know, what a chance to go out here and potentially do something very special again.
We've got some very fond memories of coming here last time, and what an achievement that was. So, if we could get off to a really good start in this game, then hopefully we could build on that and take it even further."
On comparison between the two teams
"I think they're both pretty young in age, but I'd say Pakistan's attack is a lot more experienced than ours, especially in these conditions. But again, like I say, that's just a great opportunity for us as a group to go out there, and sometimes that naivety can really play into your hand and can be a real advantage.
A lot of their players won't have come across some of these bowlers before, and that can be a real plus for you as a team. I'd say they're different. I wouldn't say better or worse than each other.
It's going to be about who's going to be able to exploit what's out there, both with bat and ball, as is always the case in any Test match, but it should be a great series.
You know, look at the talent that's on show. There's some brilliant players, some real match-winners across the two teams. So it should be great fun to be a part of and great fun to watch as well."
On Multan weather
"It's nice and hot, and it beats being at home. It's freezing there. I mean, it was absolutely bouncing down with rain when we left. So, to get here to some nice hot weather has been a real joy."
Chasing Sachin Tendulkar's record:
"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."
