Joe Root will return as England’s Test captain after Stokes’ departure, likely leading all the way to the Ashes

Joe Root is set to return as England’s Test captain, with his second stint likely to continue into next summer’s home Ashes series against Australia, The Athletic reported on Friday.England’s search for a new Test captain following Ben Stokes’ retirement from international cricket now looks set to end 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 into next year’s Ashes, The Athletic reported.The move would allow Harry Brooke, Stokes’ understudy in Tests, to continue as England’s white-ball captain ahead of the upcoming 50-year World Cup and to continue working with T20 and one-day international coach Brendon McCullum.England are still searching 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 increasingly expected to take charge of the Pakistan series on an interim basis.The ECB faced a difficult month following the conclusion of England’s first Test of the summer against New Zealand, which left the team searching for both 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 had already taken over as captain for the second Test against New Zealand after Stokes was suspended following a night of drinking in Chelsea following the first Test, an incident which led to further problems for English cricket.That experience seems to have convinced the ECB that Root remains its best choice for the role.The only uncertainty was whether Root, England’s leading Test run-scorer, wanted to return to the captaincy after saying he was done with the job when his first spell ended in 2022. He stepped down after England managed just one win in 17 Tests.Now Root, currently playing for Welsh Fire in The Hundred, is set to lead England once again, starting with the Pakistan series, as the team look to bounce back from a difficult year.England began 2026 with a 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia before suffering their first major home defeat since 2012 against New Zealand.