Joe Root, who resigned as England’s Test captain in 2022, was reinstated on Thursday, July 31, 2026. The appointment takes place at the beginning of England’s three-match home series against Pakistan in August 2026. Joe Root selection means that Harry Brook, who now captains England in white-ball formats, will not take over as Test captain at this time.
The England selector, Marcus North, gave an explanation for Root’s selection over Brook. He claims that Brook continues to be an essential part of the team and that his leadership in white-ball cricket continues to develop with each series. “I think Harry Brook has obviously been a fantastic player for us across all three formats,” he said, citing England’s T20 team’s achievement of the top spot in the world rankings in the summer of 2026.
He continues to be a crucial member of the team. With each series, I believe his leadership with the white ball is developing. We witnessed that throughout the summer when our T20 team reached the top spot in the world rankings,” North remarked.
Why was Joe Root chosen over Brook?
Despite this, North explained, Brook is still eligible to be England’s Test captain. He believes that England is fortunate to have an experienced leader like Joe Root on hand to oversee the Test team during this period, even if he is certain that Brook’s time will come.
“So, you know, working with Brendan McCullum and doing a great job there with an eye toward the World Cup at the end of next year. That’s a major concentration, you know. It is also very demanding for any captain to perform all three types.” North stated, “I have no doubt that the time will come for Harry, but we’re very blessed that we’ve got someone like Joe Root, who’s so experienced and is going to do such a great job this time around with Harry and Brendan working in the white ball space.” he said.
