Broad wants Root to replace Cook

Cook stepped down as England's skipper in the longest format of the game earlier this month and Root quickly emerged as the leading candidate to take over.

Broad's name was also thrown into the hat by some, but he believes there is only one man to take England forward, Joe Root.

Stuart Broad has backed Joe Root to replace Alastair Cook as England's Test captain despite some reports linking the fast bowler with the job himself.

Cook stepped down as England's skipper in the longest format of the game earlier this month and Root quickly emerged as the leading candidate to take over.

Broad's name was also thrown into the hat by some, while Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow were touted as outsiders. And although Broad is flattered to be considered, he believes there is only one man to take England forward.

"For me, in the best interests of the team in the medium and long term, I believe a younger modern-day captain is the way to go," he told the Mail on Sunday.

"Joe Root looks like just the man for the job for me. He's not had a lot of captaincy experience so he will have to learn on the job, but he wouldn't be the first England captain to have to do that.

"The whole point of having a new captain is so they can bring a different type of energy and ideas to the group. Joe is the best player in the team and he's in a position where his game can cope with the pressures of captaining England.

"He's played all three formats and coped really well and I don't see why that would be affected by the captaincy. Yes, you have to attend more meetings and you're involved in more conversations about injuries, form and players' welfare. But that shouldn't be a reason to miss certain games I wouldn't have thought.

"Joe's played over 50 Tests now and is a high-class performer. If there's going to be a time to test him with the captaincy it would be now, in my opinion. He's a settled member of the team and consistently performs in big series."

Should Root be overlooked, though, and Broad is indeed approached by the England and Wales Cricket Board, he would be honoured to accept the role.

He added: "I can't imagine a scenario where a professional sportsman would turn down the chance to captain their country if the offer was made, and I'm no different.

"But for me, it feels time for the next generation to be given that responsibility. I'm more than happy to be a strong senior player who helps guide that evolution."