Joe Root: "I could see myself as a shadow of the person I wanted to be"

In an interview with the Tuffers and Vaughan Cricket Club podcast, Root said the final two years of his tenure, during which England went on a rotten losing streak and only won once in 17 games, "did take its toll"

"The last couple of years, it's took the life of me."

Joe Root has revealed the heavy burden of the England captaincy, and how he slowly came to terms with the decision to step down.

In an interview with the Vaughany and Tuffers Cricket Club podcast, Root said the final two years of his tenure, during which England went on a rotten losing streak and only won once in 17 games, "did take its toll".

The Yorkshireman resigned in April, following the 1-0 series defeat by West Indies in the Caribbean, and has since slipped seamlessly back into the ranks of a revitalised England side under the leadership of Ben Stokes.

^{Joe Root's England captaincy ended after defeat in the Caribbean [AFP via Getty Images]}

But, reflecting on the grind of the captaincy, he explained how difficult life had become before he chose to hand over the reins.

"I was coming home from series and I wasn't able to switch off or wasn't able to be present with my family," he said. "And I could see myself as a shadow of the person that I want to be.

"I think sometimes you've got to be big enough to understand that it's time to move on and time for someone else to take that great honour on."

Root had refused to step aside in the aftermath of the Ashes humiliation over the winter, believing it was his duty to instigate a recovery.

However, after draws in Antigua and Barbados, England fell apart in Grenada. And that loss was the final straw.

"I think it had been coming for a long time. I just didn't want to believe it. And I think when you talk about not being present and it getting to a point where I started to notice it and I could see the effect it was having on not just kids, but Carrie my wife as well around me, it just wasn't fair on those guys," Root said.

^{Root has slotted seamlessly back into the ranks under Ben Stokes [Getty Images]}

"Out there (West Indies), I was desperate to turn things around. To come back to England, have a fresh look at things, but I'm so glad that we went about things the way we did. And I spoke to Ben personally, as my vice-captain and probably closest friend within the group first, and quite a while before anyone else. And then it was quite a relief once I'd spoken to family and got that off my chest."

"It was the right decision for the group, first and foremost, but also for me personally, I wasn't myself."

Root has since been an integral part of the England setup, scoring crucial centuries in England's wins over New Zealand and India. 

He is due back in action at the Kia Oval next week, as England try to secure a series success against South Africa. The teams are level at 1-1 after the first two matches of the campaign.