Stephen Fleming has been appointed as the new head coach of the England Test team, with Joe Root returning as captain four years after he stepped down.

England have been looking for a new red-ball coach since Brendon McCullum was relieved of his duties earlier this month.

McCullum has stayed on as coach of England's T20I and ODI teams, but a crushing 4-0 series defeat to Australia in The Ashes and two emphatic losses to New Zealand in June brought his Test tenure to an end.

And McCullum's successor is his former New Zealand team-mate Fleming, whose 80 Tests and 28 victories as captain are both the most by any Black Caps skipper.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed on Thursday that Fleming will take the reins after three matches against Pakistan in August and September, with Marcus Trescothick serving as interim head coach for that series. 

Fleming told the ECB's website: "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 honoured 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 our aim is to help them fulfil their potential as world-class cricketers."

Since moving into coaching following his 2008 retirement, Fleming has won five Indian Premier League titles with Chennai Super Kings across two separate stints with the team, from 2009 to 2015 and 2018 to 2026.

A word from our new Men's Test Head Coach  pic.twitter.com/bNHZO7plFv

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 30, 2026

While England have a new Test coach, Root is returning as captain after Ben Stokes retired from international cricket in June.

Root has already captained England in 65 Tests, winning 27 of those matches – both of those figures are the most by anyone when leading the team.

White-ball captain Harry Brook had been tipped by Stokes to take the reins, but his form has been inconsistent since he was fined over an incident involving a nightclub bouncer in New Zealand last November, which became a key storyline during The Ashes.

"I'm particularly looking forward to working with Joe Root as Captain – a generational talent who has achieved so much already," Fleming added.

"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.  

"I know what it feels like to have the weight of leadership and international cricket take their toll, and when that happened to me, my love for the game was rekindled by going to Notts and winning the County Championship. English cricket gave that to me, and it is a privilege to have this chance to give something back."

Fleming's first matches at the helm will be against South Africa, as England head to Johannesburg, Centurion and Cape Town for three matches in December and January.