'We're not Brendon and Ben' - Root's calmness praised

Joe Root received praise for his calming influence during his return as England's Test captain from interim coach Marcus Trescothick, following England's dominant first-Test victory against Pakistan. The match ended with England winning by an innings and 103 runs at Headingley, marking a strong start for Root in his second stint as skipper.

This victory follows a challenging period for England, which included a defeat in the Ashes series against Australia, the resignation of Ben Stokes as captain, and the dismissal of head coach Brendon McCullum. Trescothick expressed that the team tried to integrate the "best bits" from the previous management but emphasized, "We're not Brendon and Ben."

He remarked on the different styles of Stokes and Root, stating, "[Stokes and Root] talk differently, they speak in a different way in terms of their style of approaches." Trescothick noted that Root's calm demeanor brought excitement and stability, which was crucial during this time.

"Maybe be a little bit more simple with some of the plans, a bit more clear direction of going 'this is how we want to bowl' and how he manages the individuals behind the scenes also," Trescothick added.

England showed a more measured approach during the match, contrasting the aggressive tactics employed under Stokes and McCullum, while still achieving a scoring rate of 4.55 runs per over against Pakistan. Trescothick stated, "We played to the fashion that we wanted to. We wanted to be able to be clever and smart. There's moments within the game we've done that brilliantly."

He highlighted the importance of applying pressure on the opposition to dominate. Despite the challenges, Trescothick enjoyed that England was still scoring quickly, especially at the beginning of innings.

Stephen Fleming, newly appointed as McCullum’s replacement, is set to take over in the winter tour of South Africa but has stayed in communication with Trescothick and Root throughout the Test. "He was adamant me and Joe take it on and just run with what we feel is right," Trescothick explained, adding that Fleming provided guidance on how to implement his style within the team.

Since joining England's coaching staff in 2021, Trescothick could transition to a white-ball role under McCullum, but expressed his desire to remain with the Test side. "I want to be involved in all formats of the game because it's a wonderful place to be," he stated, emphasizing the joy of working with top-level players and witnessing their success.