‘We do not have an MS Dhoni to be his captain’ – Michael Vaughan issues warning to Stephen Fleming after England Test coaching appointment

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has shared his thoughts on Stephen Fleming’s appointment as England’s new Test head coach, suggesting that the former New Zealand skipper could face a major challenge in replicating the success he enjoyed with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

Fleming was recently named England’s Test head coach and is set to begin his tenure later this year. The 53-year-old replaces Brendon McCullum in the role after ending his highly successful stint with CSK, where he won five Indian Premier League (IPL) titles during an illustrious coaching career.

While Vaughan acknowledged Fleming’s credentials as one of the finest coaches in world cricket, he pointed out that the English setup lacks a captain like MS Dhoni, who played a pivotal role in CSK’s sustained success over the years.

“Fleming is very well respected, renowned for being a very good manager and tactician. I’ve seen him at the IPL and one of the problems he might discover in English cricket is that we do not have an MS Dhoni to be his captain,” Vaughan wrote in The Telegraph.

Vaughan also highlighted the experienced support staff that worked alongside Fleming at CSK and explained how Dhoni’s tactical acumen allowed the New Zealander to focus on managing the group effectively.

“Dhoni ran the ship at Chennai Super Kings and Fleming had some really good backroom coaches as well. Eric Simons was a wonderful bowling coach for him, a master at getting the white ball to swing. His team was built around skill with the ball, not express pace. I wonder whether that is an indication that the skill side of bowling will come back into the England Test team rather than just out-and-out speed,” he added.

Joe Root returns as England’s Test captain

Alongside Fleming’s appointment, England have also brought back Joe Root as their Test captain. The experienced right-hander previously led the national side between 2017 and 2022 and remains England’s most-capped Test captain, having led the team in 65 matches, winning 27 of them.

Fleming will officially take charge after England’s upcoming Test series against Pakistan. Former England batter Marcus Trescothick will continue as the interim head coach during that assignment.

The former New Zealand captain is expected to begin his tenure ahead of England’s Test tour of South Africa later this year, where all eyes will be on how he shapes the team’s approach in the longest format.

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