Joe Root has emerged because the frontrunner to be reinstalled as England Test captain for next month’s three-match series against Pakistan.
England are and not using a Test captain following Ben Stokes’ sudden international retirement after last month’s 2-1 loss to Latest Zealand.
Within the aftermath of the series defeat, the Test side were left and not using a head coach after Brendon McCullum’s role was downsized to simply overseeing the white-ball teams.
And based on the Athletic, Root is poised for an additional captaincy stint and while claims his reappointment is a done deal are wide of the mark, he’s now a transparent favourite to succeed Stokes.
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PICTURE: Jacob King/PA
Overburdening
Harry Brook is the one other viable candidate and he said last month it will be a “great honour” to assume the Test mantle, while Stokes even endorsed his deputy at his farewell media conference.
Nonetheless, Brook already has a large workload skippering the ODI and T20 teams.
The England and Wales Cricket Board will likely be wary of overburdening the 27-year-old all-format star, in addition to doing anything to disrupt the progress of the limited-overs sides.
Fellow Yorkshireman Root’s transient could due to this fact extend to next summer’s Ashes, allowing Brook and McCullum to think about the 2027 50-over World Cup in southern Africa just a few months later.
PICTURE: Mike Egerton/PA
Heavy toll
Root led England in a record 64 Tests between 2017 and 2022, logging 27 wins, but he fell to as many losses when standing in for Stokes throughout the second Test against the Black Caps on the Kia Oval last month.
He spoke concerning the heavy toll the job took first time around, although he appeared reinvigorated by his one-off return in Kennington and didn’t rule out presiding over the Test team in the long run.
With lower than 4 weeks until the primary Test against Pakistan on his home ground at Headingley starts on August 19, Root seems set to reply England’s SOS once more.
It was initially thought England would wait for a brand new head coach to call the brand new captain but the method to exchange McCullum within the Test hotseat will not be expected to be accomplished any time soon.
PICTURE: Adam Davy/PA
Right person
With Andy Flower last week ruling out a comeback to deal with his T20 franchise commitments, the seek for McCullum’s successor stays ongoing.
Former England batter Jonathan Trott, who has coached Afghanistan, plus homegrown contender Richard Dawson and former Latest Zealand captain Stephen Fleming are amongst those within the frame for the role.
England are prepared to attend to get the precise person in situ, which may lead to Marcus Trescothick, certainly one of the assistants under McCullum, stepping in as interim head coach against Pakistan.
Trescothick, a former England batter and instrumental of their seminal 2005 Ashes success, has filled in for McCullum previously, most recently throughout the side’s white-ball tour of the Caribbean in late 2024.
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