England places trust in Root

London - England cricket director Andrew Strauss gave his full backing to Test captain Alastair Cook on Tuesday and appointed Joe Root as his deputy in a significant move for the future.

Cook has been under pressure due to a poor run of form with the bat but he scored his first Test century for nearly two years in the recent drawn series in West Indies.

"Alastair Cook is the right man to lead the England team," Strauss told reporters at Lord's on Tuesday.