Joe Root has revealed opposition over the years has used his resemblance to star comedian and TV host Ellen DeGeneres to sledge him.

He would be in the middle of an intense knock when the name ‘Ellen’ would do the rounds as opposition attempted to get into his head.

And for his part, Root didn’t deny there was a resemblance. “I’ve been called Ellen DeGeneres on a number of occasions over the course of my career,” Root told BBC Radio 1. “I think there’s a likeness there.”

With cricket on hold till July at the very least, Root was on as a guest on the music station and picked some of his favourite numbers.

He opted for Mardy Bum by the Arctic Monkeys, and She Moves In Her Own Way by the Kooks, as two of his choices, and then picked The Greatest Show by Hugh Jackman as homage to England teammate Ben Stokes, who “can go from playing Frozen to hip hop and rap, which can be quite entertaining.”

He also picked DNCE’s Cake By The Ocean and Feeling Good by Muse.