England's Root says Anderson will return to his best again

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

VIDEO SHOWS: NEWS CONFERENCES WITH ENGLAND CAPTAIN, JOE ROOT AND PAKISTAN BOWLING COACH, WAQIR YOUNIS, FOOTAGE OF ENGLAND TRAINING AND FILE FOOTAGE OF BEN STOKES

SHOWS:

SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (AUGUST 12, 2020) (ENGLAND AND WALES CRICKET BOARD - MUST ON-SCREEN COURTESY ENGLAND AND WALES CRICKET BOARD)

1. ENGLAND BATSMEN TRAINING IN NET

2. ENGLAND'S UNCAPPED SEAM BOWLER, OLLIE ROBINSON, TRAINING AT THE AGEAS BOWL

3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ENGLAND CAPTAIN, JOE ROOT, RESPONDING TO QUESTION ABOUT BOWLER JAMES ANDERSON, SAYING:

"I think to question Jimmy's ability and his record, do that at your own peril. There's a reason he's got so many wickets over such a long period of time; it's because he's a consistent performer. I don't think it will be long until he's back in the wickets big time. I think it would be very silly for us to write someone like Jimmy off. He's still as dedicated as ever. He's working very hard at his game and looking very good in practice. I don't think it will be long before he's got another fifer (five-wicket haul) next to his name.

4. ENGLAND BOWLERS TRAINING AT THE AGEAS BOWL

5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ENGLAND CAPTAIN, JOE ROOT, RESPONDING TO QUESTION ABOUT BOWLER JAMES ANDERSON, SAYING:

"Yes, we had quite an honest conversation on one of the evenings and I think being able to get that off his chest and to talk about it has definitely helped him. But that just shows that even the greats of the game and the greats of English cricket still have those days where it doesn't always come as naturally to you. It doesn't always feel the easiest game in the world and you know that it can be a real struggle sometimes. So, that's just the way it goes. I think with Jimmy, as you know, that it won't be long before he's right back at the top and the peak of his powers and very much looking forward to seeing him perform again this week."

6. VARIOUS OF WICKETKEEPER JOS BUTTLER TRAINING

7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ENGLAND CAPTAIN, JOE ROOT, RESPONDING TO QUESTION ABOUT BOWLER STUART BROAD WHO WAS FINED BY THE MATCH REFEREE - HIS DAD, DURING PREVIOUS TEST MATCH, SAYING:

"Yes, I mean it was disappointing for that to happen. I think it just shows the frustrations that test cricket can throw at you sometimes. He's a -- You know how much it means to Stuart over the last couple of weeks he's made it very clear how much it means to him play for England and to do well and that just probably slightly boiled over. I'm sure that was a frosty conversation with his dad at some point last week. But, you know, you look to move on and he knows that he's got to set an example and I don't think that -- you know, I can't see that being a major talking point or dragging over to this week, but ultimately we want to make sure none of our players are missing games through avoidable incidents like that."

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - AUGUST 13, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

8. STOKES AT PRACTICE SESSION

9. STOKES BOWLING

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - JULY 31, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

10. STOKES BOWLING DURING PRACTICE SESSION

SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (AUGUST 12, 2020) (ENGLAND AND WALES CRICKET BOARD - MUST ON-SCREEN COURTESY ENGLAND AND WALES CRICKET BOARD)

11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ENGLAND CAPTAIN, JOE ROOT, RESPONDING TO QUESTION ABOUT BEN STOKES WHO WILL MISS THE REST OF THE SERIES DUE TO FAMILY REASONS, SAYING:

"It's a huge loss for us. For a long period of time he's been arguably our best player; offers so much in all departments, big leader within the group as vice-captain as well and of course we'll miss him dearly. We're all thinking about him but it's an opportunity for somebody to come in and try and fill those boots and that's always exciting for someone to take on that challenge and whoever gets that responsibility has to really try and step up to the plate trusting their own game and help us hopefully get 2-0 up in the series."

SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND, UK (FILE - JUNE 29, 2020) (ENGLAND AND WALES CRICKET BOARD - MUST ON-SCREEN COURTESY ENGLAND AND WALES CRICKET BOARD)

12. STOKES BOWLING DURING PRACTICE

13. STOKES JOGGING ON PITCH AT THE AGEAS BOWL

14. STOKES BOWLING IN NETS DURING PRACTICE SESSION

SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (AUGUST 12, 2020) (PAKISTAN CRICKET BOARD - MUST ON-SCREEN COURTESY PAKISTAN CRICKET BOARD)

15. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PAKISTAN BOWLING COACH, WAQAR YOUNIS, RESPONDING TO QUESTION ABOUT BEN STOKES, SAYING:

"Yes, there's no doubt about that he's a kind of a batsman who takes the game away from you single-handedly at times. So, I wouldn't say it's a boost because the way we bowled at him in the previous game (at Old Trafford) I thought we had very clear plans and I think we executed really well and -- Yes, he's not around, it's unfortunate for cricket but there's no doubt he's a match-winner so if he's not around probably England will be probably be a touch light when you talk about the middle order. So, we're probably going to talk about it and try to cash in."

16. WHITE FLASH

17. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PAKISTAN BOWLING COACH, WAQAR YOUNIS, SAYING:

"Look, it was a tough pill to swallow to begin with losing the last test match because I thought we won more sessions, we played really well but unfortunately we lost sessions at the wrong time and that really cost us the game. With talking about Naseem Shah, he's very, very talented and he's only 18, 17 years of age. He's still growing, his bones are growing but what a talent he is. I mean, I don't think he really bowled as well as we expected in the previous game, but he can really bowl well, he can really take the opposition on at times. But because he's young, he's inexperienced and it gets tough sometimes but yes he's one for the future. He's going to get stronger and hopefully get fitter and will be able to bowl longer spells and will cause trouble -- to batsmen around the world."

STORY: England captain Joe Root has backed James Anderson to hit peak form again, saying on Wednesday (August 12) that the pace bowler's spot in the team was not in question ahead of the second test against Pakistan starting on Thursday (August 13).

Anderson, England's most successful test bowler with 590 wickets, has endured a frustrating summer with six scalps in his last three games and recently quashed speculation that his career was drawing to a close.

Root said the 38-year-old would get an immediate chance to put things right when they face Pakistan at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton, as the hosts look to go 2-0 up in the series.

Root added that Anderson had spoken to him about his form during the first test.

Meanwhile, Root confirmed he had spoken to England paceman Stuart Broad who was fined 15% of his match fee by the International Cricket Council for breaching its code of conduct during the first test.

Broad was found guilty of "using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal."

The sanction was proposed by match referee Chris Broad, who happens to be the bowler's father.

It was the bowler's third demerit point in the last 24 months. Another demerit point picked up in the second test, which begins in Southampton on Thursday, would trigger a one-test suspension.

Root said it was disappointing and emphasised how he doesn't want any players to miss matches because of ill discipline.

The England skipper also admitted that it was a huge blow not to have Ben Stokes in the team for the rest of the series against Pakistan due to family reasons

Stokes, ranked the best all-round in the world, will fly to New Zealand later this week and will miss England's two test matches against Pakistan at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton starting on Aug. 13 and Aug. 21.

The 29-year-old has featured in all four test matches this summer, leading the team in Joe Root's absence against West Indies last month.

England earlier named uncapped seam bowler Ollie Robinson in their 14-man squad to replace Stokes.

Sussex paceman Robinson, 26, made his first-class debut in 2015 and has played 57 matches.

Pakistan bowling coach, Waqar Younis said England would be weaker in the middle order without Stokes but believes the visitors dealt well with him in the first test.

Younis added that it was a bitter pill to swallow having lost the first test; a match in which Pakistan were on top for large periods.

(Production: Tim Hart)