Stephen Fleming named England’s new Test head coach

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has appointed Stephen Fleming as the new head coach of the Test team, while Joe Root has been named the new captain. According to the ECB panel, Fleming has agreed to coach the England Test side. His tenure will begin after the series against Pakistan, scheduled to start in August.

In that series, Marcus Trescothick will serve as head coach. Fleming recently parted ways with IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings, where he served as head coach for 18 years. On the appointment, England’s managing director of cricket, Rob Key, said;

“Stephen Fleming is one of the most highly respected figures in cricket, and we are very fortunate that someone of his calibre is willing to take on the challenge of being the England Men's Test Head Coach. 

Fleming 🤝 Root

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— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 30, 2026

On the other hand, Joe Root is once again appointed England Test skipper after Ben Stokes' international retirement. Stokes announced this decision during the Test series against New Zealand.

This is Joe Root's second tenure as Test captain. He served as England Test captain from 2017 to 2022. Under his captaincy, England played 65 Test matches, in which the 3-Lions side won 27 matches, lost 27 and drew 11 matches. After the appointment as the new Test captain, Root said;

“It is a great honour and privilege to be asked to be England Men’s Test captain again. The Test captaincy is a difficult but hugely rewarding job and, after enjoying a brief taste of it again working with Baz McCullum last month, I am excited to lead this next generation of players forward.

"The opportunity to do that alongside Stephen (Fleming) is also a huge motivator. He 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."