Will Joe Root be reinstated as England's full-time Test captain?
What's the story
Former England captain Joe Root is poised to reclaim his position as the captain of the national Test cricket team, The Athletic reported on Friday. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is expected to make an official announcement soon, confirming Root's leadership for the upcoming three-match series against Pakistan, starting August 19. His second stint in charge could also extend into next summer's Ashes series against Australia.
Strategic shift
Root's return allows Brook to focus on white-ball captaincy
Root's return as Test captain will let Harry Brook, Stokes's vice-captain, continue his role as white-ball captain.
This will help Brook prepare for next year's 50-over World Cup and continue working with T20 and ODI coach Brendon McCullum.
The ECB is also considering appointing assistant coach Marcus Trescothick as interim Test coach against Pakistan, buying time to find a permanent replacement for McCullum.
The former batter was sacked as England's Test head coach following a recent 1-2 home series loss against New Zealand.
Leadership challenges
Challenges faced by ECB since Stokes's retirement
The ECB has had a tough time since Stokes's retirement during the third Test of a series against New Zealand.
The decision to replace McCullum after four years as red-ball coach was also taken in this period.
Despite these challenges, Root has shown his willingness to lead England on a 'match by match' basis.
Notably, Root also led England in the second Test of the aforementioned NZ series in Stokes's absence.
Before this game, the former had previously captained the England Test team from 2017 to 2022.
Captaincy record
Root's previous stint as captain and upcoming challenges
Root led England to more wins than any other captain, with 27 victories in 65 Tests.
However, he also faced an equal number of losses during his tenure (11 draws).
Now, as he competes in The Hundred with Welsh Fire, Root will seek to bring stability against a struggling Pakistan side after England's turbulent year.
His task will be tougher this winter with series in South Africa and Bangladesh.
Stats
Here are his Test stats
Captain Root has scored a total of 5,418 Test runs, including 14 centuries and 27 half-centuries.
While he averages a stunning 53.34 as non-captain, the number drops to 46.70 while leading the team.
With 14,114 runs across 166 Tests at 50.58, Root is the second-highest run-getter in Test history, only behind India's Sachin Tendulkar (15,921 runs).
In addition to 41 tons, Root owns 67 fifties.