Fleming, who left his longstanding role with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) earlier this month, has signed a four-year deal with the ECB that will take him through until the end of September 2030. The former New Zealand captain is familiar with the English game following playing spells with Middlesex, Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire – captaining the county to a Championship title in 2005 – and as coach of Southern Brave in the Hundred.

“I’m incredibly excited to be joining England as Test coach,” Fleming said via an ECB statement. “It’s one of the most prestigious coaching positions in world cricket and I am honoured to be appointed.

“I am looking forward to working with the players and bedding in the gains made by Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes. Of course, the ambition is always to win now. But equally, it’s about ensuring the team is well placed for the medium and long-term future. There is a lot of young talent in and around the team and our aim is to help them fulfil their potential as world-class cricketers.

“I’m particularly looking forward to working with Joe Root as captain – a generational talent who has achieved so much already. There is still plenty more to come from him, and I’m excited to support him so he can enjoy and thrive in the role in what is a different context to his first stint.

“I’m also excited to work with Harry Brook. The best players are never finished products, and helping Harry continue to develop his extraordinary talent and his leadership will be an important part of this journey.

“I know what it feels like to have the weight of leadership and international cricket take their toll, and when that happened to me, my love for the game was rekindled by going to Notts and winning the County Championship. English cricket gave that to me and it is a privilege to have this chance to give something back.”

On his reappointment as captain, Root said: “It is a great honour and privilege to be asked to be England Men’s Test captain again. The Test captaincy is a difficult but hugely rewarding job and, after enjoying a brief taste of it again working with Baz McCullum last month, I am excited to lead this next generation of players forward.

“The opportunity to do that alongside Stephen is also a huge motivator. He has proved over a long period of time that he is an exceptional leader with a great knowledge of the game, and I am looking forward to working with him and helping to build a winning environment.”

Managing director Rob Key, who led the recruitment process, was effusive about what Fleming could bring to the Test set-up, and equally so on Root’s return as captain following a tough final two years of his first stint during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Stephen Fleming is one of the most highly respected figures in cricket, and we are very fortunate that someone of his calibre is willing to take on the challenge of being the England Men’s Test head coach,” Key said. “I believe he is the best person to guide a team stacked full of potential and turn that talent into a world-class outfit that can not only achieve success but sustain it.

“I am excited by the prospect of him working with Joe Root, who will get the opportunity to lead free from the Covid restrictions that the Test team faced at the end of his first stint as captain. Joe is undoubtedly an England great and he is passionate about leading this team into a new era.”