England have announced the appointment of Stephen Fleming as coach of the men’s Test team and he will take up the role following the three-Test series against Pakistan. Ahead of a bountiful year ahead, we take a look at the tasks on his to-do list…
Revitalize your roots
Ben Stokes’ shock was outrageous considering it occurred at 3.25pm in the middle of a bowling match. Retirement from international cricket meant England needed a captain to lead them after Bazball.
Enter Joe Root. The former skipper, who captained England in all-time with 65 Tests, will be taking up the mantle for the second time after serving as captain for the first five years from 2017 to 2022.
Fleming spoke of the “bedding of gains” achieved by Stokes and Brendon McCullum over the upcoming term and clearly he and the ECB have decided that the tried and trusted Root, rather than white-ball captain and Test vice-captain Harry Brook, is the man to do just that.
Joe Root was reappointed as captain after previously playing 65 Tests.
But Root’s argument is not without its drawbacks. He gave up the job after five years, having won just one Test in the last 17 years, and told Sky Sports in 2022 that the role was starting to have a “detrimental health effect on the rest of my life”.
Stokes’ recent outing as interim Test captain during his absence did little to reassure doubters. England were in trouble in the second Test against New Zealand, losing by 253 runs at The Oval.
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Mark Butcher questioned the decision to name Root as captain.
Former England batsman Mark Boucher said: “Joe is completely exhausted after five years as captain.” Sky Sports News. “The best thing that has happened to him and his game is that he is no longer captain.
“I think this is a retrograde step for the team… I don’t think it’s actually the best move for him to be captain now or at any other moment.”
Fleming’s first task, then, will be to prepare his veteran leaders for the difficult task of a winter tour of South Africa and the Ashes at home next summer.
Unfinished product Brook development
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Highlights from the fifth T20 international between England and India in Southampton as the hosts secured a 4-0 series win.
With a new coach and new powers, Brooke is not ready to take on such an important role. He was overlooked as a reserve leader for the Oval Test against New Zealand after the Stokes nightclub saga as he became embroiled in his own nightclub drama in New Zealand before last winter’s ODIs.
However, Brook led England to a 4-0 T20 series win over India that took them to the top of the T20I rankings and brought him back into the conversation after a 2-1 ODI series win against the same opposition. He appears to have a pretty keen cricketing mind, but according to Fleming, he needs more time to take on the red-ball captaincy.
“I am delighted to be working with Harry Brook,” Fleming said. “The best player is never a finished product and helping Harry continue to develop his outstanding talent and leadership will be an important part of this journey.”
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The highlight was Root’s 99 not out in the second ODI to lead England to a four-wicket win over India.
Root’s return puts an end to concerns about Brook’s ability to captain all three formats amid a packed fixture schedule and will give the white-ball captain more time to develop his leadership skills and focus on the upcoming 2027 50-over World Cup.
But Root turns 36 in December and his appointment is likely to focus only on the upcoming smash year of Test cricket. Because it’s hard to imagine the skipper leading the team beyond that.
With Brook seemingly the captain-in-waiting, it will be Fleming’s duty to nurture future leaders as much as support those currently in place.
Working with Backball Coach McCullum
Brendon McCullum has succeeded Fleming as England Test coach.
Splitting the role between red-ball and white-ball cricket allows each coach to focus fully on one format, reducing the risk of burnout, but England’s two head honchos need a strong relationship to make it work.
Fleming and McCullum certainly have it. The pair played together for six years in New Zealand, with McCullum making his Test debut under Fleming, and they also invested together in a business called cricHQ.
McCullum said there would be “robust” talks with Test coaches to “achieve unity and success” in English cricket. This could perhaps be read along the lines of “I will not be deprived of my assets.”
With two coaches who are already so familiar with each other, maintaining that harmony is much easier.
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McCullum talks about what it’s like working with England’s new Test coach and the future of the white-ball team.
With the home Ashes a year away, Test cricket is clearly the priority, which is why McCullum has been relieved of red-ball duties following the unpleasantness he oversaw.
But Fleming will not want this to damage England’s excellent T20 form or their aim to fix an ODI side that sits eighth in the rankings and win the 50-over World Cup in 2027.
England fans crave success in every way. There has not been a global white-ball trophy since 2022 and no Ashes since 2015. And coaches must work together to make that happen.
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After England’s Test series loss to New Zealand, Nasser Hussain gave a scathing review of McCullum’s Test series record.
Address drunkenness and disorder outside the stadium.
England have had more drink-related incidents than Test teams have won in recent times. Brook’s scrap with a bouncer in New Zealand, Ben Duckett appearing drunk during a criticized beach break in Noosa between Ashes Tests, and Stokes and Gus Atkinson making headlines for breaking curfew and traveling to Chelsea’s nightline.
It’s still unclear how clear the curfew was and that’s another black mark against this team. Lack of attention to detail.
We have seen that in the run-up to the Ashes they have only played one warm-up game before the Perth Test. It wasn’t a particularly useful game, but being played on the docile surface of Lilac Hill, it was no match for the bouncy decks you’d face at Optus Stadium. And we all know what happened there…
Ben Stokes is now focused on playing for Durham.
With England giving up golden position, the batsmen drove in disgust. Current interim coach Marcus Trescothick later said there were no discussions about playing such a shot on that surface. really?!
“We’ve let ourselves down several times now,” new captain Root said after England’s latest reckless behavior.
“We need to learn from those mistakes and understand that we shouldn’t put ourselves in that situation.”
The ECB announced new additional player conduct guidelines in July ahead of the three-Test series against Pakistan. Now it’s up to Fleming and Root to ensure they comply even better than Stokes and McCullum.
Replace Stokes and confirm your best XI
Rehan Ahmed is an option as a Test all-rounder for England.
Stokes’ departure – unless he can be lured back – deprives England not only of their talismanic captain but also of a gun all-rounder. Even though his batting form tapered off in the latter part of his Test career with just 100 runs since the Ashes in 2023.
Sam Curran is a seam bowling all-rounder (his left arm angle could be useful) but Rehan Ahmed offers a spin bowling option, but there are no easy fixes here. The inclusion of leg-spinner Ahmed at No. 7 could give England a quick four at the front.
Most impact points appear to be fixed. No. 3 Bethell, No. 4 Root, No. 5 Brook and perhaps Duckett, after some great, timely performances against New Zealand, became the first opener. Duckett’s top accomplice may not be so sure, with Emilio Gay hitting 250 against the Kiwis but falling behind since then. Other county openers will feel they have a chance.
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Stokes took the wicket after announcing his retirement from international cricket.
The same applies to spinners where Stokes and McCullum, the two who made Shoaib Bashir a pet project, are no more. Bashir undoubtedly has potential, but the new Test coach may want someone with more solid statistics than he does. Maybe Jack Rich?
Jamie Smith may also be sweating on the spot as a wicket-keeper batsman. After the dry Ashes, he failed to put in a stellar performance against New Zealand at The Oval while on maternity leave, despite his replacement, James Rew, struggling with bat and gloves during his serious debut.
Win matches and big series
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McCullum reveals what his ambitions are for Bazball after becoming Test coach in 2022.
Of all the goals on a coach’s to-do list, this one is the most important.
The end of the Bazball era saw just three wins from their last 12 games, and the entire Bazball era was without successive wins, with a 2-2 draw at home and a 4-1 away win over Australia and India (in competitions judged by England).
Fleming shouldn’t, and probably won’t, abandon all Bazball principles. Aggressive front-face cricket has put England in a number of match-winning positions over the last four years. It’s just that players get too excited and then don’t control themselves, which keeps them away from that position. See Lord’s 2023, Rajkot 2024 and Perth 2025 for representative examples.
The job is to cut out the nitpicks and ensure that there is sophistication and responsibility when the game is in England’s hands. Because while England fans certainly enjoy entertaining cricket, they love winning cricket even more.
And they love winning against Australia more than anything. That opportunity comes again next summer, making Fleming’s appointment crucial.
