Anthony McGrath: Joe Root and Stephen Fleming are the best men for the job
YORKSHIRE head coach Anthony McGrath believes there is “no better man” to lead England than Joe Root and has described the appointment of Stephen Fleming as head coach as “a very smart move”.
Root has returned to the Test captaincy as part of England’s new structure, with Fleming to take charge of the coaching set-up.
“I’m delighted for Rooty,” said McGrath. “I’ve had a few comms with him since his appointment. He’s our best player and also very passionate about England, so I think there’s no better man to step in.”
Root previously led England through the Covid era and stepped down in 2022, saying he had developed “a very unhealthy relationship” with the job. McGrath believes that period will now serve him well.
“It was tough when he last had it, around Covid and how it ended,” he said. “He’ll probably want to right a few wrongs, if that’s the right term. He’s more experienced now, and experience is everything - not just in cricket, but also in life. You’ve been through it before, you know how to go.”
McGrath also welcomed Fleming’s appointment in place of Brendon McCullum, who is now responsible solely for the white-ball set-up.
McGrath played alongside Fleming during the former New Zealand captain’s brief spell at Yorkshire as an overseas player in 2003.
“Flem was an unbelievable player,” he said. “Really good around the group when we had him, and he’s gone on to do great things. I haven’t spoken to him much recently, but I’ve followed his coaching career. I think giving him the job is a very smart move.”
McGrath expects Fleming to complement Root and bring a measured approach to England’s leadership group.
Fleming will take up his new job after the Test series against Pakistan that starts at Headingley on August 19.
“He’s someone who’s very calm, and I’m sure once he gets in there he’ll get the team going in the right direction,” said McGrath.
“He’s predominantly coached in the franchise world and knows Brendon McCullum very well, and I think it’s just about working together.
“He’ll probably have a bit of a lead-in to the winter, so it’ll be interesting to see which way they go. He’s probably going to be a hybrid of the current style because they’ve still got the same players, effectively.”
McGrath recalled leaning on Fleming’s experience during his own early days as Yorkshire captain.
“He was New Zealand Test captain at the time, so it was nice for me to lean on him,” he said.
“I was very young in the job then, so having people like that around always helped.
“Although he didn’t captain us, he kind of had that aura of leadership about him. He’s gone on to be highly successful.”
Meanwhile, Ben Stokes, the former Test captain, has reiterated his view that England should have appointed Harry Brook as his successor rather than Root.
Speaking to his former England team-mate Jos Buttler on the For the Love of Cricket podcast, he said: “If you think someone’s going to be a good captain or a good leader, then just give them it.
“Even when I missed that Test match (against New Zealand this summer), I was like, ‘Why is Brooky (not the captain?) – he’s vice-captain’. And I sort of got it. I understood the reasoning why they were saying it.
“But I was still like, ‘What message is that sending to him?’ He’s vice captain. And then the captain is not playing, but he’s not captain. What? I had no leadership or captaincy experience when I took over.”
However, Stokes said of Root: “I wish him nothing but success. I hope he goes on and achieves amazing things in his role as captain and I think he’s going to really enjoy it with Flem. He’s a great man.”