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The England Captaincy It was rather ironic that during a break in the last
test match between England and South Africa, Nasser Hussain was talking
about the day he realised he no longer wanted to be captain of England. Just a few days later Michael Vaughan announced he
was stepping down after losing the series to South Africa. The inner torment was there for all to see as a
tearful Vaughan referred to it as the “hardest and easiest decision he
had ever made.” He could be forgiven for this oxymoron as we all knew
exactly what he meant. The majority of resignations in sport come when a
particular person is on the slippery slope downwards. Few genuinely bow
out when at the top. This immediately makes it difficult to assess an
individual’s contribution and so it will be with Michael Vaughan. After indifferent form in the current series and a
career hampered with injury, not too many will be genuinely surprised at
his decision. Many times this summer England’s batting has appeared to
be a player light and Vaughan has scarcely set the world alight. Indeed he
has been rivalling Mike Brearley for the unwanted title of the most out of
form player to captain England. Like Brearley, Vaughan has proved himself
a master tactician and the last week or so should not detract from the
fact that at his best Vaughan is a world class
player. We mustn’t forget that he did bind a team of individuals
together in a cohesive unit, he did captain an Ashes winning side – and
not that many can say that - and he did lead his country to more victories
than any other skipper. Statistics will show that overall he has been one of
the most successful captains of all time with 26 wins and 14 draws from
his 51 matches in charge. That’s a winning ratio of over 50% or one in
two. Unfortunately the Ashes winning side never went on to
find greatness and once again we seem to have at best an average side.
Which brings us to the question of whether Kevin Pietersen is the man to
lead England. Certainly when it comes to charisma and crowd
pleasing only Andrew Flintoff can compare in the present side, but does
Pietersen have the right credentials for the job? Of course only time will tell. On the evidence to
date I have some doubts but am happy to give him the benefit of time.
Pietersen will need to curb his egocentric outlook and his more excessive
behaviour on the pitch that makes him try to complete a century with a
six. Captaining a team is all about taking those singles rather than the
big blows. Of course Pieterson has a great deal to gain and almost as much to lose by taking on what could be viewed as a poisoned chalice. Michael Vaughan looked a sad and sorry sight at the Media conference. Let’s hope that he can bounce back and regain his England place as a top line batsman. At the same time let’s hope that the ebullient Pietersen isn’t dragged down by the responsibilities of leadership. |