Sir Alastair Cook backs Joe Root to become all-time leading Test run scorer

By reaching 72 not out at lunch on day three of the first Test against Pakistan in Multan, Root passed the previous mark of 12,472 runs set by former captain Cook.

That puts him fifth on the all-time list, still well adrift of Indian great Tendulkar’s record of 15,921 – although Cook believes it is achievable.

“I can see him overhauling Sachin Tendulkar’s record,” Cook said on Test Match Special.

“When I retired, I thought there was every chance that my record will be broken. I thought only the effects of captaincy and the hunger that takes out of you would stop him. I think the fact that Ben Stokes has taken over the captaincy has helped Root.

“You could say Sachin is still the favourite but just. All great players who played for a long time have been lucky with injuries. You just never know what’s around the corner but it has to be something like it that could stop him.

“But I don’t see that happening for Root to lose that hunger and ability to keep driving himself forward for the next couple of years.”

Root’s achievement was hailed by current England captain Stokes, who is out in Pakistan but missing the first Test through injury.

“The selflessness that he has is an incredible attribute for him,” Stokes said in a video released by the England and Wales Cricket Board on the social media site X.

“He always puts the team first, and the fact that he’s got so many runs is just a bonus for us. He’s an incredible player.

“It’s going to take a long, long time for someone to come in and break that record. Just a great bloke. And an unbelievable feat to score that many runs.

“But the non-selfishness that he possesses is one thing I think sets him above or sets him apart from anybody else who is going to play for England for a long time.”

Root was also praised by two other former captains, Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain.

Atherton recalled Root’s Test debut against India in Nagpur in 2012, saying on Sky Sports: “Twelve years of excellence is exactly what it has been.

“I was there in Nagpur, I thought ,’this guy’s going to be one of our greats’, but you’ve still got to do that, you’ve got to put all that promise and potential into performance, and it’s hard to think of a time when his form has dropped off.

“He’s been so consistent over the years and he’s done it in a way that has been so pleasing on the eye. He’s an absolute champion. He’s one of our best players, if not the best player we’ve had.”

Hussain believes Root’s positive attitude has been key to his success, saying: “He has graced us with such amazing ability and shots and temperament and hunger, and throughout those 12 years he’s played with a smile on his face, which we all know is not easy.

“The game can get you down at times. He always said to himself growing up, ‘if I play for England, I want to remember what it feels like to want to play for England, and how much you must enjoy (it) and not take for granted playing for your country’.

“And he’s seemed to manage that, which is a truly remarkable achievement. And he is a thoroughly, thoroughly decent guy and a great ambassador for this game as well.”

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, meanwhile, sent Root a message on X, saying: “Congratulations to Joe Root on becoming England’s leading Test run scorer. A fantastic achievement from an outstanding cricketer who just gets better and better.”