England's new Test captain and head coach for Pakistan series: Likely candidates to take over after Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum

England's new Test captain and head coach for Pakistan series: Likely candidates to take over after Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Joe Root is the overwhelming favourite to take over as England's Test captain.
• Marcus Trescothick is expected to serve as interim head coach against Pakistan.
• Andy Flower ruled himself out, leaving Stephen Fleming and Richard Dawson in contention.

England's new Test captain and head coach for Pakistan series

English cricket has spent the past month dismantling the leadership structure that defined it for four years. Ben Stokes retired from international cricket during the home defeat by New Zealand, and Brendon McCullum was removed as Test coach days afterwards.

That leaves the ECB searching for a captain and a coach with a three-Test series against Pakistan beginning at Headingley on August 19, followed by matches at Lord's and Edgbaston.

The urgency is genuine. England have lost eight of their last 12 Tests, surrendered the Ashes 4-1 in Australia, and then suffered their first defeat in a major home series since 2012, leaving the side without direction.

Here are the leading candidates to take charge of both roles before the Pakistan series gets under way next month.

Candidates for the Test captaincy

Joe Root is set to be reappointed, according to a report by The Athletic. England's record Test run-scorer stood in at the Oval when Stokes was suspended, and his second stint could extend through to next summer's Ashes. Root led England 65 times between 2017 and 2022, winning 27 matches, more than any other England captain.

He had said he was finished with the job after his first spell ended with one win in 17 Tests but is understood to have accepted out of duty. Harry Brook was Stokes' vice-captain and the only genuine alternative, but two factors count against him. His involvement in the Wellington incident that brought a £30,000 fine still lingers, and leading in all three formats would be an unmanageable workload.

Brook will instead continue as white-ball captain alongside McCullum, who retains those roles until after the 2027 World Cup. He is expected to succeed Root once that tournament concludes. Jacob Bethell is the longer-term option rather than an immediate one. England has been grooming the 22-year-old for leadership, though he has just withdrawn from The Hundred with a knee injury that threatens his availability for Pakistan.

MORE: Joe Root set for England Test captaincy return against Pakistan

Candidates for the head coach role

Marcus Trescothick is the most likely name for the Pakistan series. The long-serving assistant coach is expected to take charge on an interim basis, giving the ECB time to make a permanent appointment before December's tour of South Africa. Richard Dawson is the leading English candidate for the job on a permanent basis.

The Glamorgan coach could work alongside Trescothick during the Pakistan series to gain experience, with a view to taking over ahead of South Africa. Stephen Fleming has emerged as the strongest overseas option. The former New Zealand captain has built a formidable reputation on the franchise circuit, most notably with Chennai Super Kings, and ECB chief executive Richard Gould confirmed the next coach need not be English.

Andy Flower was the first choice and has ruled himself out. The most successful England coach of the modern era told the BBC he could not combine the role with his commitments to Royal Challengers Bengaluru and London Spirit. Meanwhile, names like Jonathan Trott, Tom Moody and Kumar Sangakkara have all been linked, while Justin Langer is reportedly no longer under consideration despite strong backing from Michael Vaughan and Marcus Stoinis.

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England are buying time rather than solving the problem

The likely outcome, Root as captain with Trescothick as interim coach, is the safest possible answer to a difficult question. Both men know the setup, command respect, and require no adjustment period before a series England should win.

That is also the concern. Turning to a 35-year-old who walked away from captaincy in 2022, alongside a caretaker coach, is a holding pattern rather than a plan, and it exists because Stokes retired and Flower said no.

The real decision is the permanent coach, and the ECB is right to take its time. Whoever arrives must rebuild a batting order without Stokes, decide what to keep from Bazball, and do it all with a home Ashes series twelve months away.