Joe Root Reveals Stephen Fleming's Appointment Was Key to His Return as England Test Captain

"Fleming's appointment was big reason...": Joe Root on returning as England Test captain

London, August 2

According to Cricinfo, Root spoke with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), and said Fleming's vision for the team and his understanding of the areas that need improvement impressed him.

The ECB had earlier confirmed the appointments of Fleming as head coach and Root as Test captain, with the duo taking over from Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes.

"If I'm being brutally honest, it [Fleming's appointment] 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 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," Root said.

Root said he was looking forward to working with Fleming, who has extensive experience as both a player and coach.

"I'm very much looking forward to working with him. 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," he said.

Reflecting on the last four years of his career, Root said the period had been the most enjoyable of his professional cricket journey and credited the team's approach for helping him develop his understanding of the game.

"The last four years have been the most fun I've had in professional cricket, and a big part of that was down to the way that they got me to see the game, how I fit into that side, and the experiences that we managed to create on and off the field," Root said, according to Cricinfo.

The England Test skipper acknowledged that recent results may dominate discussions but said the team had achieved several positive things over the four-year period, which he intends to draw upon in his leadership.

"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," he said.

"The thing that stands out the most for me is the shift in mindset that was created around how we want to play the game: trying to strip the fear away from things, make sure guys feel that they can really just allow their talent to come out as frequently as possible, and in big moments in games. The more that can happen, the better," he added.

Root also stressed the importance of balancing an aggressive approach with the ability to adapt to different match situations.

"If we can do that alongside recognising when the right time is to put pressure back on teams, or when the right time is to soak it up and to maybe play situations slightly differently, become a little bit smarter in certain areas, then I think we'll be a very formidable team, and a very difficult team to break down and to beat," he said.

Meanwhile, England are expected to announce their squad for the three-Test series against Pakistan next week, with most players currently featuring in The Hundred. The team will have just two full training days ahead of the opening Test at Headingley on August 19, with Marcus Trescothick set to serve as interim head coach as Fleming will be in New Zealand due to family commitments.

— ANI