Root Starts New England Chapter With Pakistan Test Series Opener

Joe Root returns to the England Test captaincy with a very different task from the one he faced during his first stint in charge. The experienced batter is back at the helm for the series against Pakistan, with the immediate priority being to bring some order to a side that has endured a difficult run.

Root's return comes at the start of England's first series beyond the Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum era. Marcus Trescothick has stepped in as interim coach, while incoming head coach Stephen Fleming is not expected in the UK until next month.

The change has left Root facing a delicate balancing act. England do not want to erase everything built during the previous four years, but they also need to move away from an approach that had begun to lose its effectiveness.

Root made that clear when discussing his leadership role. He said he wanted the players to represent England in the best possible light and stressed that there was no need to try to copy Stokes.

The former captain finished his previous tenure with 27 wins and 27 defeats from 65 Tests. His final match in charge came in England's heavy defeat to New Zealand at The Oval earlier this summer.

This time, Root believes he is better prepared for the responsibility.

He has also made an immediate change to his position on the field. Rather than spending most of his time at first slip, the returning captain plans to move closer to the bowlers so he can offer more direct support during spells.

“I might not be as dynamic as Ben at mid-off, but we'll see if we can make it work,” Root said.

The timing of his return is significant. England suffered a 2-1 home series defeat to New Zealand after being beaten 4-1 by Australia. Those results, combined with several off-field issues, have left supporters frustrated and trust in the setup needs rebuilding.

Root knows results are the quickest way to change that mood.

“The only thing we can do to rectify that is be really good role-models, good human beings and put in really strong performances on the field,” he said.

The England vs Pakistan Test series gives Root an immediate opportunity to start that process. Pakistan will be without Babar Azam for the opening Test, with Salman Ali Agha taking over the captaincy.

England's preparation has not been completely straightforward. The Hundred final affected the availability of Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue, both of whom had only one training day with the Test squad before the opening match.

Root, though, has urged his players to focus on the present rather than look too far ahead towards the winter tour of South Africa or next summer's Ashes.

There is no grand promise attached to his return. England simply need to start winning again.

For Root, that means creating his own version of the team rather than attempting to fill Stokes' shoes. He believes the previous era still has plenty to offer, but the next phase needs its own identity.

The first chance to establish it arrives against Pakistan.