Fleming new England Test coach with Root captain

Former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming has been named England’s Test coach, with Joe Root set to resume the captaincy. Fleming, 53, has never held the position of head coach for a national side, though he guided the Chennai Super Kings to five Indian Premier League titles during his 17‑year stint as head coach of the franchise. The appointment follows the dismissal of Brendon McCullum as England’s Test manager earlier this year after a run of mediocre results and several off‑field incidents; McCullum remains in charge of England’s white‑ball teams. Root, 35, whose initial term as Test skipper ran from 2017 to 2022, led England to a record 27 Test victories in 65 matches. Speaking about his new role, Fleming said he was “incredibly excited” to be taking on the position of Test coach. “It’s one of the most prestigious coaching positions in world cricket and I am honoured to be appointed,” he added. Fleming will not oversee the upcoming Test series against Pakistan, which gets under way on 19 August. Assistant coach Marcus Trescothick will act as interim head coach for that series. He plans to spend time with his family in New Zealand before travelling to the UK later this summer to begin preparations for the South Africa Test tour scheduled for December. Root described the prospect of captaining alongside Fleming as a “huge motivator”. He added: “[Fleming] 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.” More to follow.