Chasing Sachin Tendulkar's record? Joe Root says milestones don't motivate him

Pakistan vs England, Multan Test: Speaking to the press ahead of the first Test in Multan, Joe Root said milestones don't drive him any more and he is focussed on enjoying his time with the England cricket team. Root is just 70 runs behind England's all-time Test scorer, Alastair Cook.

In Short

• Joe Root has scored 12,402 runs at an average of 50 in Test cricket
• Root, 31, has a chance to break Sachin Tendulkar's all-time scoring record
• Root needs 71 to surpass Alastair Cook and become England's all-time leading run-getter

England batting star Joe Root said he is not focused on milestones and the desire to contribute to the team's victory has been pushing him to do better and continue playing the traditional format of the game. Root was asked if he was targeting Sachin Tendulkar's all-time Test record when he addressed the press in Multan ahead of the upcoming three-match Test series in Pakistan.

Joe Root went past Alastair Cook to become the England batter when he hit a twin hundred in the Lord's Test against Sri Lanka earlier this year. Root is just 70 runs behind Alastair Cook's tally of 12,472 runs in Test cricket. The 31-year-old Joe Root is currently at the sixth spot in the all-time list of Test scorers and with age on his side, the former England captain has an opportunity to break Sachin Tendulkar's world record of 15,921 runs. No other active international cricketer has even 10,000 runs.

"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," Joe Root said, responding to the Sachin Tendulkar question on Saturday, October 5.

MOST RUNS IN TESTS

• Sachin Tendulkar (IND): Matches: 463, Total Runs: 18,426, Hundreds: 49
• Ricky Ponting (AUS): Matches: 287, Total Runs: 13,378, Hundreds: 41
• Jacques Kallis (ICC/SA): Matches: 280, Total Runs: 13,289, Hundreds: 45
• Rahul Dravid (ICC/IND): Matches: 286, Total Runs: 13,288, Hundreds: 36
• Alastair Cook (ENG): Matches: 291, Total Runs: 12,472, Hundreds: 33
• Joe Root (ENG): Matches: 267, Total Runs: 12,402, Hundreds: 34

NOT GOING TO STOP NOW: ROOT

When asked if he is looking to go past Alastair Cook in Pakistan, Root said he is not looking at any particular landmark and stressed he would want to continue playing for England for many more years.

"The only reason that comes to my mind is people keep asking about it. I see myself playing Test cricket for a lot longer. It’s not like I am going to get to a certain number or mark and stop, I just want to keep playing and enjoying the game. It’s a great team to play in, we have so much fun on and off the field. As long as that remains, I will have the drive to keep playing and keep helping the team win matches," Root added.

Root did not set the stage on fire during England's tour of Pakistan in 2022. He scored 125 runs, including a fifty, in five innings at an average of 25.00. The former captain will be looking to better his record in Pakistan and his recent form will only give him that extra bit of confidence.

On Saturday, England announced their XI, handing a debut to pacer Brydon Carse. Captain Ben Stokes was ruled out of the series opener after failing to recover in time from a hamstring concern that kept him out of the three-Test series against Sri Lanka at home. Ollie Pope will lead a strong England side, which has picked two spinners in Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir.