England white-ball coach Brendon McCullum has said that Harry Brook's "time will come" as Test captain, backing Joe Root's reappointment to the role in the meantime. Brook, England's white-ball leader and former Test vice-captain, was overlooked for the Test captaincy after Ben Stokes' surprise retirement, with Root – who previously captained England in 64 Tests between 2017 and 2022 – brought back instead. The comments matter because they signal how England plan to manage leadership across formats as Brook juggles his growing white-ball responsibilities with ambitions in the longer format.

McCullum, who was sacked as Test coach in July following poor results and off-field issues, made the remarks during The Hundred while preparing Brook's white-ball side for next year's 50-over World Cup. Brook, 27, recently led England to a 2-1 ODI series win over India and has been in strong form in The Hundred. Root's first Test back in charge begins on 19 August against Pakistan, with new Test coach Stephen Fleming – McCullum's close friend, whom he praised as "a little bit like me, but better" – taking over from December's South Africa tour, having missed the Pakistan series to Marcus Trescothick.