Stephen Fleming Announced As England Mens Test Team Coach
England will play a three-match series against Pakistan beginning on August 19, with Marcus Trescothick serving as caretaker head coach until Fleming arrives later this year
XtraTime Newsdesk: On Thursday, Joe Root was elected England Test captain for the second time, with former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming taking over as head coach. The moves follow the dismissal of Brendon McCullum as Test coach and the retirement of former captain Ben Stokes from international cricket earlier this month. Yorkshireman Root led England in 64 Tests between 2017 and 2022, including a temporary stint at the Oval during the current series against New Zealand. With almost 14,000 runs, the 35-year-old is second only to Sachin Tendulkar of India in all-time Test scoring.
"It is a great honour and privilege to be asked to be England men's Test captain again," said Root. "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."
Fleming was regarded by the batsman as a "exceptional leader with a great knowledge of the game".
England will play a three-match series against Pakistan beginning on August 19, with Marcus Trescothick serving as caretaker head coach until Fleming arrives later this year.
The ECB described Fleming, who coached the Chennai Super Kings to five Indian Premier League victories, as one of the "most highly regarded coaches in world cricket".
"The ambition is always to win now," said Fleming. "But equally, it's about ensuring the team is well placed for the medium and long-term future."
The 53-year-old added: "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."
McCullum will remain England's limited-overs coach.
Rob Key, the managing director of England men's cricket, described Fleming as one of cricket's most respected figures.
"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," Key said.
