'Will try to continue a lot of the good stuff' - Joe Root affirms continuity after England Test captaincy return

Experienced cricketer Joe Root has taken over as England Test captain once more after Ben Stokes' shock retirement announcement during the 2-1 loss to New Zealand earlier this year.

Former New Zealand captain and Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming will be joining Root at the helm after the exodus saw Brendon McCullum step down as coach of the Test side. McCullum, who took over in 2022 along with Stokes as captain, revolutionised how the side played their cricket, with a larger emphasis on putting opposition bowlers under pressure. Root acknowledged the pair's contribution and stated his aspirations to build on the foundations laid by them.

"Since 2022 we've done some amazing things. We'll try to continue a lot of the good stuff we did over that period and not finding ourselves back to where we were before Baz [McCullum] and Ben [Stokes] took over, and evolving and tweaking things to where we want to be and really competing against the top nations consistently," Root said, as quoted by Sky Sports Cricket.

Root stepped down from the captaincy in 2022, after first taking over the role in 2017. After a strong start, results began faltering, with the Three Lions managing just one win in Root's last 17 matches as skipper. He has stated that the experience he has gained on the sidelines would help him take the side forward despite recent results. Root has captained England in 65 matches, the most for an English skipper, and has won and lost 27 games apiece with 11 draws.

"[I'm] hugely different, anyone that says in an eight-year period they were the same person they were [at the start] is probably lying. Whether it be within the game, away from it, all the experience you have along the way throughout that period you will be shaped into a slightly different person. I think that will be very similar in how I want to take this team forward," he added.

Root also clarified that Fleming's appointment as coach was a major reason for his return to the role, and he is excited to learn from the former Black Caps skipper in his second journey as the skipper of the English team.

"We've spoken briefly and if I'm being brutally honest he was a big reason why I wanted to do it. I'm very excited by the way he sees the game, where he sees us sit as a team and the work we have to do to get to where we want to get to. All of that got me very excited about taking this role on.

"Very much looking forward to working with him and he's obviously got a wealth of experience, done some amazing things in the game as a player and as a coach. I'm looking forward to the next little while and us trying to build something pretty special together," the ace cricketer added.

England's next Test assignment will be against Pakistan, with the first Test kicking off at Headingley on August 19. Root will take charge in Fleming's absence, who will join the side ahead of the series in South Africa in December. Assistant coach Marcus Trescothick will fill in on an interim basis for the Pakistan series.