'Fleming's appointment was big reason': Joe Root on England Test captaincy return

England Test captain Joe Root has revealed that Stephen Fleming’s appointment as head coach played a major role in his decision to return to the leadership role, adding that he is excited to work with the experienced New Zealander and build something special together. According to Cricinfo, Root spoke with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) before accepting the captaincy and was impressed by Fleming’s vision for the team and his understanding of the areas England need to improve.

The ECB had earlier confirmed Fleming as head coach and Root as Test captain, with the pair replacing 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 also spoke highly of Fleming’s experience as both a player and coach and said he was eager to begin working with him.

“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.

Looking back at the last four years, Root said it had been the most enjoyable phase of his professional career. He credited the team’s approach for helping him understand the game better and find his role within the side.

“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.

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Root admitted that England’s recent results are likely to be the main focus of discussions, but stressed that the team had also achieved several important things during the previous four years. He plans to use those experiences as he takes charge again.

“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.

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He also highlighted the change in mindset within the England team, particularly the focus on playing without fear and allowing players to express themselves.

“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.

However, Root believes England must also know when to attack and when to adapt according to the situation in a match.

“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. Most of the players are currently playing in The Hundred.

With inputs from agencies