Joe Root is set to return as England’s Test captain following Stokes’ retirement, likely to lead until the Ashes | Cricket News

Joe Root is set to return as England’s Test captain, with his second spell in charge likely to continue until next summer’s home Ashes series against Australia, The Athletic reported on Friday.England’s search for a new Test captain follows Ben Stokes‘Retirement from international cricket now appears to be over with Root returning to the role.The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is expected to announce Root as captain for the three-Test series against Pakistan, starting on August 19, with the appointment likely to extend to next year’s Ashes, reports The Athletic.Movement allows Harry BrookDeputy Stokes in Tests, who will continue as England’s white-ball captain ahead of next year’s 50-over World Cup, and will continue to work with T20 and one-day international coach, Brendon McCullum.England are still looking for a new Test coach after parting ways with McCullum in the red-ball format. According to a report by The Athletic, assistant coach Marcus Trescothick is expected to take charge on an interim basis for the Pakistan series.The ECB faces a difficult month after the end of England’s first Test assignment of the summer against New Zealand, which left the team in search of a new captain and a new Test coach.Stokes announced his retirement during the third Test of the series, which England lost 2–1. Soon after, the ECB also decided to replace McCullum after four years as Test coach.Root came in as captain for the second Test against New Zealand after Stokes was suspended following a late-night drinking session at Chelsea after the first Test, an incident that led to further problems in English cricket.That experience seems to have convinced the ECB that Root remains the best choice for the role.The only uncertainty is whether Root, England’s highest Test run-scorer, wants to return to the captaincy after saying he was done when his first spell ended in 2022. He stepped down after England had managed just one win in 17 Tests.Now Root, currently playing for the Welsh Fire in The Hundred, is set to lead England again, starting with the Pakistan series, as the team looks to bounce back from a difficult year.England started 2026 with a 4-1 Ashes loss to Australia and then suffered their first home series defeat since 2012 against New Zealand.