Birmingham: Returning captain Joe Root believes England have successfully steadied the ship following a turbulent summer, capping off a complete turnaround with a 3-0 Test series sweep over Pakistan.

Taking back the captaincy in June after Ben Stokes’ sudden international retirement, Root—alongside interim head coach Marcus Trescothick—guided England to three decisive victories at Headingley, Lord’s, and Edgbaston. The clinical performances offer stability just as incoming head coach Stephen Fleming prepares to take over red-ball duties from Brendon McCullum.

Reflecting on the team's recovery after scoring an unbeaten 62 in Saturday’s eight-wicket victory, Root acknowledged the off-field disruption that preceded the series.

"There's been a lot of chaos around this series before a ball was bowled," the skipper said after hitting an unbeaten 62 in Saturday's eight-wicket win at Edgbaston.

"I think the way we've handled it on and off the field, the way everyone understands what is expected of them, both as a player and how we want to carry ourselves, is a really good thing.

"It's been a very unusual summer, hasn't it? There's been a lot of different things happen. We had a resignation mid-series, there has been a few off-field incidents and we've got a new coach.

"Whether you call it chaos, whether you call it unusual, whether you call it unsettling, all of those are fair.

"But ultimately, the thing that I care about and the most important thing is what happens from that. I think the way that we've responded to that has been excellent."

The summer had threatened to derail after Stokes announced his departure mid-way through a 2-1 series loss to New Zealand—a series marked by disciplinary actions involving a nightclub visit with Gus Atkinson. The fallout led to McCullum losing his red-ball mandate. Scrutiny mounted further ahead of the second Test against Pakistan when bowler Brydon Carse was removed from the squad following an incident outside a nightclub.

Addressing the broader push to restore standards within the squad, Root emphasised that rebuilding trust and team discipline remains an ongoing effort.

"When you're trying to build a culture it doesn't happen overnight and it doesn't happen over the course of three or four weeks," said the Yorkshireman.

"It's going to take time to keep working at that, living it day in and day out, and that's something we'll continue to keep working at. We've made some really good strides in the right direction." (AFP)