England is expected to bring Joe Root back as Test captain as the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) moves to rebuild the team following the departures of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum.
Stokes retired from international cricket during England’s home series defeat to New Zealand, while McCullum was removed as Test coach only days later. McCullum will, however, remain in charge of England’s white-ball teams until after the 2027 World Cup.
The sudden leadership changes have left the ECB searching for a new Test captain and coach ahead of the three-match series against Pakistan, which begins at Headingley on August 19. The remaining Tests will be played at Lord’s and Edgbaston.
The appointments come at a difficult time for England, who have lost eight of their last 12 Tests. They also suffered a 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia before recording their first major home series loss since 2012 against New Zealand.
According to The Athletic, Root is now set to return as captain. England’s leading Test run-scorer previously led the team in 65 matches between 2017 and 2022, winning 27 Tests, the highest number by any England captain.
Root had stepped down after a poor run that included only one victory in 17 Tests and had previously indicated that he did not want the role again. However, he is now understood to have accepted the captaincy due to the current situation.
Harry Brook was considered the main alternative after serving as Stokes’ vice-captain. However, the fallout from the Wellington incident, which resulted in a £30,000 fine, and the demands of leading England in all three formats have weakened his chances.
Brook is expected to continue as white-ball captain and could eventually replace Root after the 2027 World Cup.
Jacob Bethell is also viewed as a future captaincy option, but the 22-year-old is not considered ready for the position. He has also withdrawn from The Hundred due to a knee injury, raising doubts over his availability for the Pakistan series.
Meanwhile, Marcus Trescothick is the leading candidate to take charge as interim Test coach.
The long-serving assistant is expected to oversee the Pakistan series, allowing the ECB more time to appoint a permanent coach before England’s tour of South Africa in December.
Richard Dawson is considered the leading English candidate for the permanent role. The Glamorgan coach could work alongside Trescothick during the Pakistan series before taking over ahead of the South Africa tour.
Former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming has emerged as the strongest overseas candidate. Fleming has built a successful coaching career in franchise cricket, particularly with Chennai Super Kings.
ECB chief executive Richard Gould has also confirmed that the next Test coach does not have to be English.
Andy Flower was reportedly the ECB’s first choice but has ruled himself out. The former England coach told the BBC that he could not combine the position with his existing commitments to Royal Challengers Bengaluru and London Spirit.
Jonathan Trott, Tom Moody and Kumar Sangakkara have also been linked with the role, while Justin Langer is reportedly no longer being considered despite support from Michael Vaughan and Marcus Stoinis.
For now, the most likely arrangement is Root returning as captain with Trescothick serving as interim coach.
The move would provide England with two experienced figures who already understand the team environment and would require little time to settle before the Pakistan series.
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