Joe Root has been reappointed as England’s permanent Test captain with Stephen Fleming confirmed as the new head coach.
Root England’s greatest-ever Test run-scorer, previously served as captain from 2017-2022 but gave up the role after winning just one of his final 17 Test matches as skipper. The 35-year-old also lost when filling in for Ben Stokes, who has since retired from international cricket, in the second Test against New Zealand earlier this summer.
Yet given all the furore around vice-captain Harry Brook’s ill-discipline off the pitch over the winter in New Zealand, alongside a dearth of other candidates, Root will return as permanent captain for the three-match series against Pakistan later this summer.
Fleming, meanwhile, replaces fellow New Zealander Brendon McCullum as Test head coach. However, he will not start his role until after the start of the series against Pakistan, with Marcus Trescothick serving as interim boss.
The 53-year-old led Chennai Super Kings to five IPL titles over 17 years in charge and is one of the world’s most highly-rated coaches, though this will be his first international job. He will start his England tenure in September to allow him to spend time with his family in New Zealand, before flying to the UK later this summer to begin preparations for December’s tour of South Africa.
Beyond that, Root and Fleming look set to be the partnership to lead England into the 2027 Ashes series against Australia next summer.
“I’m incredibly excited to be joining England as Test Coach,” Fleming, who was New Zealand’s longest-serving Test captain as a player, said. “It’s one of the most prestigious coaching positions in world cricket and I am honoured to be appointed.
“Of course, the ambition is always to win now. But equally, it’s about ensuring the team is well placed for the medium and long-term future. There is a lot of young talent in and around the team and our aim is to help them fulfil their potential as world-class cricketers.
“I’m particularly looking forward to working with Joe Root as captain - a generational talent who has achieved so much already. There is still plenty more to come from him, and I’m excited to support him so he can enjoy and thrive in the role in what is a different context to his first stint.”
Root, who won 27 of his 65 Tests in his first stint as captain, added: “It is a great honour and privilege to be asked to be England Men’s Test captain again. The Test captaincy is a difficult but hugely rewarding job and, after enjoying a brief taste of it again working with Baz McCullum last month, I am excited to lead this next generation of players forward.
"The opportunity to do that alongside Stephen is also a huge motivator. He has proved over a long period of time that he is an exceptional leader with a great knowledge of the game, and I am looking forward to working with him and helping to build a winning environment."
The ECB insisted they followed a “rigorous process” involving “numerous high-quality candidates” as they looked to replace McCullum, who was sacked earlier this month after the series defeat to New Zealand, which came off the back of a damaging 4-1 Ashes series loss to Australia.
Rob Key, managing director of England Men’s Cricket, said: “Stephen Fleming is one of the most highly respected figures in cricket, and we are very fortunate that someone of his calibre is willing to take on the challenge of being the England Men's Test Head Coach.
"I believe he is the best person to guide a team stacked full of potential and turn that talent into a world-class outfit that can not only achieve success but sustain it.
"I am excited by the prospect of him working with Joe Root who will get the opportunity to lead free from the Covid restrictions that the Test team faced at the end of his first stint as captain. Joe is undoubtedly an England great and he is passionate about leading this team into a new era."
Root’s first match back as captain will be the first Test against Pakistan at Headingley, starting on 19 August.
