Root ready to reshape England’s Test approach

The second-highest run-getter in Tests, Joe Root has been reappointed as England's captain following Ben Stokes’ retirement last month and the arrival of new head coach Stephen Fleming.

Despite England’s attacking approach having come under the scanner towards the end of the Stokes-Brendon McCullum era, Root wants to retain the best elements of what the team has built since 2022 while evolving their style.

“Since 2022 we've done some amazing things," Root said in an England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) video.

"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 [Brendon 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."

The right-hand batter returns to a role he held between 2017 and 2022, captaining England a record 65 times during his first stint, winning 28 of them, before resigning from the role in April 2022.

The 35-year-old has enjoyed a purple patch with the bat since relinquishing captaincy, taking part in 49 Tests, amassing 4225 runs at a brilliant average of 54.16, with 16 hundreds to his name.

Root believes he has changed significantly since stepping down as captain four years ago, and that will shape his leadership this time around.

“[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.”

The newly-appointed Test skipper also revealed Fleming was a major factor behind his decision to take on the captaincy again, with the pair set to work together as England look to build a new era in Test cricket.

Fleming brings a wealth of experience, thanks to his successful stints with IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings and its sister franchises.

“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."

Root’s second stint as captain begins with England’s three-match Test series against Pakistan this month, beginning 19 August.

The series will be a part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship cycle, in which England are currently seventh in the standings.