Joe Root says he is ready to resume the England Test captaincy, believing he is in a much better position than when he stepped down in 2022. His return matters because he and incoming coach Stephen Fleming take over a side struggling after poor results and off-field disciplinary problems ended the Stokes-McCullum era.

Root previously led England in a record 64 Tests, winning 28, but resigned after the team won only one of 17 matches and the role affected his health. Since then, he has averaged more than 54 in Tests and scored 16 of his 41 centuries, compared with an average of 46.44 in the preceding five years. The 35-year-old will begin his second full-time spell against Pakistan at Headingley on 19 August, with Fleming joining before December’s South Africa tour.