England appoint Root and Fleming as Test cricket captain and coach

England confirm Joe Root to return as Test captain, while Stephen Fleming replaces Brendan McCullum as coach.England named Joe Root as Test captain and appointed former ⁠New Zealand batter Stephen Fleming as head coach following the departures of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum.Root, England’s all-time leading run scorer in Tests, captained the side in ⁠a record 64 matches between 2017 and 2022, winning 27 of them.The 35-year-old returns to the role after Stokes retired from international cricket last month and will lead England in the three-Test home series against Pakistan starting on August 19.“It is a great honour and privilege to be asked to be England ‌men’s test captain again,” Root said in a statement.“The Test captaincy is a difficult but hugely rewarding job and, after enjoying a brief taste of it again working with Brendon 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.”Root led England in the second Test against New Zealand at The Oval this summer in Stokes’ absence.Stephen Fleming was head coach of Chennai Super Kings in the IPL before taking the England job [File: Abhijit Addya/Reuters]Fleming takes charge of an England side looking to rebuild after poor results and a series ⁠of off-field incidents that led to McCullum’s dismissal.New Zealander McCullum remains coach of England’s white-ball teams.