Captains Alastair Cook and Misbah ul-Haq on Wednesday assessed their side's chances on the eve of the first Test between England and Pakistan at Lord's.

SOUNDBITE: (English) Alastair Cook, England captain (on the return of Pakistan bowler Mohammad Amir):

"I said all along that match-fixers shouldn't be allowed to play but at that time he was given his punishment. He's served it so he's absolutely entitled to come back. I just hope, as I said, that we can concentrate on the cricket. Of course, I understand the questioning because it is the big story about this Test...the first time in six years he's back. But I thought the way both sides played in the United Arab Emirates, the spirit between the two sides was different to what it has been in the past and I hope we can carry on that between the two sides and just talk about the cricket."

SOUNDBITE: (English) Alastair Cook, England captain (on Root being moved up the batting order):

"It's obviously a big deal when you move people around the order, certainly more outside the team. You don't want to upset one of your best players, if not the best batter. But after speaking to him he's very keen to bat wherever and if it's good for the team, I think it suits us better having him at three. So it's a great way of looking at it as an opportunity."

SOUNDBITE: (English) Alastair Cook, England captain (on Anderson missing the first Test):

"The risk of going into a five-day Test match with that injury...yes he's really close but it's an injury which I don't think many people have had so there's just that bit of doubt about it. The selectors decided that it was too much of a risk to go for it. There's three other games and he should be fit for Old Trafford. They were concerned that if he did have one of those stints at Lord's when the sun's out and it's a flat wicket then you could be bowling 30-odd overs in an innings and we're not quite sure how his shoulder will stand up to that. So that's the reason the selectors gave me. It's disappointing but what is encouraging is when he first did it, and we first saw the scans, it could have been a lot longer so it's encouraging that he's almost in."