Fleming succeeds Brendon McCullum as Test coach, while Root takes over Ben Stokes.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), on July 30, 2026, has confirmed that former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming has been appointed the new England Test team head coach. Joe Root has returned as the England Test captain.
Stephen Fleming played 111 Tests and 280 ODIs for New Zealand from 1994 to 2008, scoring 7172 and 8037 runs respectively with a total of 17 centuries. He captained New Zealand from 1997 till his retirement and won the 2000 ICC Knockouts Trophy.
After retirement, Stephen Fleming got into coaching and had an 18-year association with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL and its sister franchises in other overseas T20 leagues. With Fleming as coach and MS Dhoni as captain, CSK won five IPL titles and two Champions League T20 titles.
Along with coaching the Melbourne Stars and CSK's affiliate teams in South Africa and the USA, Fleming also guided Southern Brave to the 2023 final of The Hundred men's competition.
“I’m incredibly excited to be joining England as Test Coach. It’s one of the most prestigious coaching positions in world cricket, and I am honored to be appointed. I am looking forward to working with the players and bedding in the gains made by Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes. Of course, the ambition is always to win now. But equally, it’s about ensuring the team is well placed for the medium and long-term future. There is a lot of young talent in and around the team, and we aim to help them fulfil their potential as world-class cricketers,” Fleming stated as per the ECB website.
“I’m particularly looking forward to working with Joe Root as Captain - a generational talent who has achieved so much already. There is still plenty more to come from him, and I’m excited to support him so he can enjoy and thrive in the role in what is a different context to his first stint.
I’m also excited to work with Harry Brook. The best players are never finished products, and helping Harry continue to develop his extraordinary talent and his leadership will be an important part of this journey,” he added.
Apart from Fleming, Joe Root was appointed the England Test captain as well, which is his second stint at the helm. Root holds the record for captaining England Men in the most Test matches (65 Tests) as well as the most wins (27 wins).
“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 [Brendon] McCullum last month, I am excited to lead this next generation of players forward. The opportunity to do that alongside Stephen 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,” Root said.
Marcus Trescothick will act as temporary head coach during the forthcoming Test Series against Pakistan before Fleming takes over. Later this summer, Fleming is scheduled to travel to the UK to start getting ready for the South Africa Test tour.
(ECB inputs)