Nine England problems Stephen Fleming has to fix before they face South Africa

England have three months until their next Test series in South Africa. By then, new coach Stephen Fleming will be in charge. Despite ending the summer with a 3-0 whitewash of Pakistan, there are still plenty of things England need to address. Here are nine the New Zealander will need to get a handle on from day one in the job… Address lack of ruthlessness Much has been made of the four-pronged seam attack that humbled Pakistan (Photo: Getty) England’s batters converted just one of 21 half-centuries this summer, with Ben Duckett’s 113 against New Zealand at Trent Bridge in June the sole hundred. Conditions have been skewed in favour of bowlers this summer. But to beat the very best, England need people to start scoring big hundreds regularly. More worrying was the lack of ruthlessness with the ball when Pakistan showed some resistance for the first time in this series on the third evening at Edgbaston. It suggested the four-pronged seam attack of Ollie Robinson, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue are maybe not as good as we thought. Joe Root’s captaincy also left a lot to be desired during that passage of play. Former England captain Nasser Hussain said: “England lost the plot. It reminded me of Australia last winter when Travis Head was cutting them to shreds. I thought it was the first real Test of Joe Root’s second coming as captain and I’m not sure he passed it.” Decide whether Emilio Gay has done enough to stay in the team The opener’s debut Test summer has been a mixed bag, with three half-centuries in six matches. His first-innings 60 against Pakistan at Edgbaston should be enough for him to retain his place going into the winter, although his duck during the chase didn’t help. England’s 2005 Ashes-winning captain Michael Vaughan seems to think he will make it, telling The i Paper: “I don’t think he’s completely stamped his name in for that first Test. But I think he has done enough to get a seat on the plane.” Yet with Jordan Cox doing well at No 3 in the absence of the injured Jacob Bethell, could Fleming decide to use the returning Bethell as an opener and stick with Cox at three? It would be a big call, but Root hinted Cox could be here to stay after the Pakistan series, saying: “It’s gone under the radar how well he did. To step up and do the role he did was outstanding. He doesn’t have a huge amount of experience at No 3 but he’s taken to the role wonderfully.” Make a call on the spinner situation Shoaib Bashir has been England’s pet project since making his debut in 2024 (Photo: Getty) England look comfortable balancing the team in the absence of the retired Ben Stokes by playing an extra batter and four seamers at the expense of a specialist spinner. That is likely to continue in South Africa, but with two Tests in Bangladesh next February, Fleming needs to decide on his slow bowlers. Shoaib Bashir is expected to be one. The experienced Jack Leach and Rehan Ahmed, who can bat at No 7 if needed, are also likely to be included. Who might emerge as the No 1 pick in all conditions – and almost all world-class teams have a spinner – will be a tough decision for Fleming. Decide on back-up seamers Seam will dominate in South Africa and at home to Australia next summer so depth is essential. Fleming needs to decide who England’s back-up bowlers are because injuries are inevitable. Young quick Sonny Baker, skilful Essex medium-pacer Sam Cook and an in-form Olly Stone look the best bets for the winter. Define his philosophy and vision Stephen Fleming will officially take charge before the tour of South Africa (Photo: Getty) By the end of the Bazball era, there was muddled messaging as Stokes and Brendon McCullum diverged publicly on how they wanted the team to play. So, what is the new man’s philosophy and how will his England play? He should outline his vision for the team when he arrives in the UK in the next few days. Police the drinking culture and off-field discipline Looseness summed up the Bazball era. Wellington, Noosa, the Rex Rooms, Brydon Carse at Molly Malone’s in Derby, albeit on Durham duty , but still in England’s squad The midnight curfew was scrapped by Root when he took on the captaincy again, but Fleming needs to ensure his players don’t generate headlines for the wrong reasons. It won’t be easy finding a balance as they will need opportunities to wind down, especially on tour. “Don’t completely stay off the lash because it’s important to enjoy your time,” Vaughan says. “Just stay out of nightclubs in Derby.” Sort out his backroom team Ashes 2005 winner Marcus Trescothick has proven an able temporary coach in his absence (Photo: Getty) There needs to be a clean break from the previous regime. So Marcus Trescothick, interim head coach for the Pakistan series, and Jeetan Patel, McCullum’s long-time assistant, are likely to be moved on. Fleming attempted to bring in Michael Hussey as a new batting coach before the Australian turned down that approach. He will surely bring in fresh blood. “We have a new captain and coach, I think it is good to freshen up the back-room team,” Vaughan says. “We have gone through a period where we played a certain way and they need to be a bit more consistent. If you are going to do that, you generally need a new voice or two.” Ensure his team prepare properly for all series Poor preparation was a big reason England lost in Australia last winter. One three-day game against a Lions XI at a club ground in Perth didn’t cut it. This winter they have a three-day match against a Cricket South Africa XI in Durban before that series starts in Johannesburg on 17 December. Fleming must ensure these games have Test-match intensity and remain a staple of future tours. Read more Chris Stocks: English cricket’s eight winners and eight losers from a truly chaotic summer Transfer news: Hampshire star’s new deal, Middlesex in turmoil and a potential Overton reunion Rebuild bridges with supporters England fans have become disillusioned of late, with the defeat in Australia still stinging and off-field issues making the players look unprofessional. Winning will help, as will ensuring the players and the new coach communicate well with supporters by being more open with the media and projecting the team in a positive light.