LONDON : Joe Root said the appointment of Stephen Fleming as England’s Test coach was a major factor behind his decision to return as captain following Ben Stokes’ retirement from international cricket.
Root replaced Stokes after the all-rounder stepped down following England’s home Test series against New Zealand. Fleming succeeds fellow New Zealander Brendon McCullum as Test coach, while McCullum continues in charge of England’s white-ball teams.
“If I’m being brutally honest, it was a big reason why I wanted to do it,” Root told the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
“I’m very excited by the way he sees the game, where he sees us sit as a team, and the work that 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.
“He’s obviously got a wealth of experience and done some amazing things within the game as a player and as a coach, and I’m very much looking forward to the next little while, and us trying to build something pretty special together.”
Former New Zealand captain Fleming spent 17 years as head coach of the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League before leaving the franchise last month.
Root captained England in Tests from 2017 to 2022 before handing over to Stokes, whose partnership with McCullum ushered in an aggressive “Bazball” approach that transformed England’s style of play.
The 35-year-old indicated he and Fleming intend to retain that attacking philosophy while building on the progress made during the previous four years.
“The last four years have been the most fun I’ve had in professional cricket,” Root said.
“Clearly, the last little while is probably what’s fresh in everyone’s mind, but you’re looking at a four-year period where we did a lot of amazing things.
“I’ve taken a lot from that, and I feel it will be a big part of how I want to approach things moving forward as a leader of this team.”
England begin a three-Test home series against Pakistan at Headingley in Leeds on Aug. 19.
