England vs Pakistan: A huge challenge, but Joe Root can finish his captaincy story – BBC Sport
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Root’s great challenge to finish his captaincy story
Image source:
Getty Images
Image caption:
Returning captain Joe Root has already led in 65 Tests, an England record
By
Stephan Shemilt
Cricket Correspondent at Headingley
Published
18 August 2026
Of all the places for England to begin a new era, Headingley is the most difficult to shake off the memory of Ben Stokes. In the city of Stokes’ greatest miracle, the home side must plot a future without a captain, all-rounder and talisman, starting against Pakistan on Wednesday.
Yet, for all Stokes’ legendary achievements it cannot be said his four-year spell as England captain ended with the team in a better state than he found it.
England have sacked Brendon McCullum as Test coach and replaced him with Stephen Fleming, only Fleming is not yet in post, meaning Marcus Trescothick is interim boss, all while McCullum remains floating around as white-ball gaffer. It leaves this three-match series against Pakistan with a feeling of impermanence, not unlike Root’s last tour as captain in the West Indies in 2022. England lost 1-0 with Paul Collingwood as temporary coach and Root resigned as captain soon after.
Root was left broken by his first, five-year, stint in the top job. There was a time when he would not have considered returning as skipper. Still, here he is on his home ground, ready to go again, smiling, excited and energised by his comeback.
Plenty will wonder why he wants to put himself through it all once more. Well, consider what it must be like to give up the England captaincy, to admit you can no longer do a dream job. Root will have regrets from his first attempt, and maybe a sense of unresolved business. How irresistible it must be to get a second chance that very few are afforded.
If we thought Stokes’ destiny was to end with an Ashes win next summer, then the all-rounder was unable to finish his story. Now Root has the opportunity to finish his.
The Yorkshireman has acknowledged one challenge of this captaincy is how some may view his first reign. Root was regularly self-deprecating about his own leadership during Stokes’ tenure. Yes, there was the one win in 17 to end it all, but before that, Root’s record was pretty good: 26 wins from his first 47 matches in charge gave a success rate of 55%. As a comparison, Stokes won 54% of his Tests as skipper, Michael Vaughan 51% and Mike Brearley 58%.
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Figure caption:
How do England move on from Stokes?
Covid destroyed Root’s team, and there are other reasons why Root might also feel he didn’t get a fair shake first time around. His tenure as captain coincided with a prioritisation of white-ball cricket and, when he stood in for Stokes against New Zealand in June, he admitted to some envy at not getting the chance to work alongside McCullum.
