Joe Root is the frontrunner to step in as Test captain for the Pakistan series next month as the process of appointing England’s next men’s red-ball coach becomes increasingly complicated. The England & Wales Cricket Board is managing three shortlists just over three weeks before the squad assembles for the first of three games against Pakistan.
The first shortlist is for a permanent coach, the second is for possible interim appointments if the process of narrowing the first list is still under way when the series begins. If that happens, a third decision will then be needed over who should captain the side until the coaching question is resolved, with Root the most likely option, as he did for the recent when Ben Stokes was in effect suspended for breaking a team curfew.
A fortnight after that his time in charge of the red-ball team was at an end – leaving him at the helm of the white-ball sides – the ECB has begun interviewing prospective coaches.
Justin Langer, the Australian who is coaching Manchester Super Giants in the Hundred, is believed to have fallen from favour, while the former England batter Jonathan Trott, the Glamorgan head coach Richard Dawson and McCullum’s former New Zealand teammate Stephen Fleming are among those still in contention.
Rob Key, the ECB’s managing director of men’s cricket, is leading the recruitment process and is expected to run multiple rounds of interviews over a number of weeks before making an appointment. When McCullum left the job Key was optimistic of making an appointment before the squad reconvened, but the ECB is increasingly resigned to – and relaxed about – the process dragging on beyond 19 August, when the first Test against Pakistan starts at Headingley.
Once that series ends on 13 September there is a gap of 87 days before the team is next in action, when their tour of South Africa starts with a three-day game against a CSA Invitational XI in Durban, and sources say they are determined to pursue the best appointment rather than the quickest.
Key is therefore preparing to select an interim coach and captain for the Pakistan series. Marcus Trescothick, who worked as assistant coach under McCullum, has been the presumptive pick as interim but is not the only candidate under consideration. Root is favourite to lead the side on the pitch, however.
After retiring from international cricket four weeks ago, Stokes anointed Harry Brook as his permanent successor as captain, but the 27-year-old also leads the white-ball teams and is doing so with such success that there is no desire to replace him unnecessarily. Of his 44 games in charge, Brook has won 64% – of the 18 players to have captained England’s men, across one or multiple formats, in more than 35 games the next best is Mike Brearley, who won 59%.
It is unlikely that anyone will be asked to captain in all three formats given England’s bewilderingly congested schedule: the white-ball side could be playing a T20 against Sri Lanka at Southampton’s Utilita Bowl within 48 hours of the Pakistan series ending at Edgbaston, while the first white-ball series of next summer, also against Pakistan, is due to conclude in Cardiff around 36 hours before the first Test starts against Bangladesh at Lord’s.
Who is being considered for the coaching job?
The ECB is interviewing a number of candidates for England’s next red-ball coach, with Jonathan Trott, Richard Dawson and Stephen Fleming still in contention. Justin Langer is believed to have fallen from favour, and Rob Key is expected to oversee multiple rounds of interviews over several weeks.
Why could Joe Root be captain again?
Root is the leading option to captain England against Pakistan if an interim appointment is needed before the coaching process is complete. He previously stepped in for the recent when Ben Stokes was in effect suspended for breaking a team curfew, and he is again the favourite to lead the side on the field.
What is the situation with Marcus Trescothick?
Marcus Trescothick, who worked as assistant coach under McCullum, is the presumptive choice to act as interim coach but is not the only person under consideration. The ECB is also weighing who should take charge on the pitch until the coaching decision is finalised.
How does Harry Brook fit into the plan?
Harry Brook remains England’s permanent successor as captain after Stokes retired from international cricket four weeks ago. Brook also leads the white-ball teams, and there is no desire to replace him unnecessarily while he is performing strongly.
Of Brook’s 44 games in charge, England have won 64%. Among the 18 players to have captained England’s men, across one or multiple formats, in more than 35 games, the next best record belongs to Mike Brearley, who won 59%.
Why can’t one captain cover every format?
England’s schedule makes that unlikely because of the congestion between red-ball and white-ball fixtures. The white-ball side could be playing a T20 against Sri Lanka at Southampton’s Utilita Bowl within 48 hours of the Pakistan series ending at Edgbaston, while the first white-ball series of next summer, also against Pakistan, is due to conclude in Cardiff around 36 hours before the first Test starts against Bangladesh at Lord’s.
What happens next?
Rob Key is preparing to choose both an interim coach and an interim captain for the Pakistan series while the search for a permanent red-ball coach continues. The ECB has made clear it would rather secure the best appointment than move quickly, even if the process extends beyond 19 August, when the first Test against Pakistan begins at Headingley.
Once the Pakistan series ends on 13 September, England will not play again for 87 days, until the tour of South Africa begins with a three-day game against a CSA Invitational XI in Durban. That gap gives the ECB more time to complete the coaching appointment, but sources say the priority remains finding the right candidate.
Key Facts
- Joe Root is the frontrunner to captain England in the Pakistan Test series next month if needed.
- The ECB is running separate shortlists for a permanent coach, interim coach and potential interim captain.
- Jonathan Trott, Richard Dawson and Stephen Fleming remain in contention for the red-ball coaching role.
- The first Test against Pakistan starts at Headingley on 19 August.
- The Pakistan series ends on 13 September before England’s next match in South Africa after an 87-day gap.
