Joe Root has urged his England teammates to embody the values of strong role models and good human beings as he embarks on his second tenure as Test captain. This new chapter for the England Test team kicks off with the first Test against Pakistan on Wednesday at Headingley.

Following a tumultuous summer that saw the team struggle, Root steps in after Ben Stokes's unexpected retirement and the dismissal of Brendon McCullum as Test coach, who managed only two wins in ten Tests amid various off-field controversies.

Root, who has played 166 Tests, stated, "You always want to represent your country in the best possible light. We might have fallen short of that on a few occasions in the recent past. The only thing we can do to rectify that is to be really good role models, good human beings and put in strong performances on the field."

Off-field issues plagued the team last winter, including a nightclub incident involving Harry Brook and a mid-Ashes drinking episode that led to a heavy 4-1 defeat by Australia. The chaos continued this summer, culminating in Stokes breaking a team curfew, resulting in a 2-1 series defeat by New Zealand.

With Stephen Fleming now appointed as McCullum's replacement, Marcus Trescothick will temporarily lead the Test side for the upcoming three-match series against Pakistan. Root acknowledged the challenge of not trying to replicate Stokes, emphasizing the need for the team to evolve rather than completely overhaul its style.

As for the first Test lineup, Root has yet to finalize his XI, but Dan Lawrence is expected to step into Stokes' role, while the pace attack will be selected from a pool of several bowlers. Additionally, Pakistan announced that captain Babar Azam will miss the game due to an injury, with Salman Ali Agha taking over as skipper.