Monday 13 February 2017 17:16, UK
Nasser Hussain called Joe Root "the obvious choice" after he was named the new England Test captain, replacing Alastair Cook.
The Yorkshireman replaces Alastair Cook in the role to become England's 80th Test skipper, with Ben Stokes named vice-captain, the role Root now vacates.
Root's first series in charge will be South Africa's four-Test tour in July, and Hussain, a former England captain, told Sky Sports News HQ that it is the right time for the "steely" Root to make the step-up.
"He is the obvious choice," said Hussain. "Joe has been around now for 53 Test matches, he has served as vice-captain to Alastair Cook, and is at the right age, 26 years old.
"He is also the right sort of character. Don't be fooled by his boyish smile, and the role of the clown he plays occasionally, like doing Bob Willis impressions with Ian Ward in the dressing room.
"He likes to joke around, but there is also a very serious side to Joe, as we've seen on plenty occasions in his cricket. He is a steely character.
"As captain I think he'll be different to Cook. More in the face of the opposition, more blatantly in charge of the team.
"We've played under a couple of defensive captains in Strauss and Cook. Does he need to take it in on in a more aggressive way? He has aggressive players in Ben Stokes, Stuart Broad and Jonny Bairstow. He's got to look at the side and create a culture."
Hussain said he is not concerned by Root's lack of experience in the role, having not acted officially as captain for his county, Yorkshire, and also had some advice for the new man in charge.
"You only know what kind of captain he will make when he does it," added Hussain. "Especially nowadays, these guys don't get much captaincy experience at their counties, because they're on the road with England.
"Joe has done it a little bit for Yorkshire - on the odd occasion Andrew Gale was absent in the past - but we don't know how he'll fare until he does it. He ticks every box though going into the role.
"The two bits of advice I'd give him is firstly, do it your way, because when things go wrong it will be you that is blamed.
"The second, look after your batting. That is the most important thing. Captaincy will feel brilliant when you're getting runs and contributing.
"When you're such a fine player, as Joe is, an England cricket fan will be happy to see him as captain, but they will want him to continue scoring runs as well.
"It generally follows a pattern where initially there's a massive lift in performance but for most England captains, if there's a dip in form of the team, then the weight of responsibility and the pressure lands on your shoulders. That can affect you and your form."
