Sept 13 (Reuters) - England have responded excellently to an "unusual summer" marked by a captaincy change, a new coach and off-field incidents, Test captain Joe Root said after his side completed a 3-0 series shutout of Pakistan.
The 35-year-old Root, the second-highest run-scorer in Test cricket history, returned as England Test captain after all-rounder Ben Stokes retired from international cricket. Root led England in a record 64 Tests between 2017 and 2022, winning 27 of them.
Former New Zealand batter Stephen Fleming was appointed head coach in July following the sacking of compatriot Brendon McCullum after a four-year stint.
The build-up to the second Test against Pakistan was overshadowed by controversy surrounding fast bowler Brydon Carse, who was dropped from the England squad following an incident outside a nightclub in Derby.
Despite the distractions, England completed the sweep on Saturday, sealing an eight-wicket victory in the third and final Test at Edgbaston.
"There's been a lot of chaos around this series before a ball was bowled," Root said at a press conference. "At the start of the series, we wanted 3-0 and we've been clinical enough to do that.
"It's been a very unusual summer, hasn't it? That's probably a better way of putting 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 are fair. But ultimately, the thing that I care about, and that's most important, is what happens from that. And I think the way that we've responded to that has been excellent.
"And the fact that there's now clarity in what is expected of the group moving forward is quite evident and we build on that now."
England next host Sri Lanka in a three-match Twenty20 series beginning in Southampton on Tuesday before facing them in three One-Day Internationals.
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus)
