Strauss the Man to Lead England Cricket Forward

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So, after the drama of the last week or so, it was left to Andrew Strauss to sweep away the debris and turn the baffled minds of English cricket supporters (and perhaps those of one or two delirious Australians) away from the present and back to the immediate future. Strauss is almost as much the anti-Pietersen in his demeanour as he is with the bat. Strauss is the first England captain since Nasser Hussain to have graduated from University and his eloquent, thoughtful performance in front of the press befitted his image of one of the side’s more soothing personas.

That is not to say that Pietersen is lacking in grey matter; he is an extremely thorough and analytical cricketer, but his press conferences and interviews tended to edge more the way of clichéd, pre-prepared quotes. It would be harsh to categorise him alongside a premiership footballer (or Monty Panesar for that matter) but Strauss seems set to provide a steadier, less news worthy hand than his predecessor.

Of course that is precisely what English cricket needs. With all that has happened over the last five months, from the Antiguan debacle through to the Mumbai attacks and this latest catastrophe, the ideal antidote would be a successful, quiet tour to the West Indies. Considering that England’s last trip to that part of the world saw a poor world cup performance, the demise of Duncan Fletcher (and to a lesser extent Michael Vaughan) and a curious incident with Andrew Flintoff and a pedalo, that may well be asking a lot.

However, once the dust settles the news might not be as depressing as it seems. Strauss is the right choice for the captaincy and will hopefully be able to gel the dressing room together in time for the Ashes next summer. Pietersen may be smarting at the moment but he has too big an ego and too many lofty goals to accomplish to let this affair trouble him for too long.

He may have also done Strauss a big favour. Whilst his method may have been over zealous, his determination to evict Peter Moores will probably benefit England in the long run. Moores’ record at test level suggests that he is probably out of his depth and that no number of ECB coaching badges can qualify you to manage an international team. Whoever his replacement is, it seems highly unlikely that the same in house selection policy which brought Moores to the job will be employed a second time.

Andy Flower will in all likelihood be given the chance to steak his claim on the tour of the West Indies but, come the summer, the ECB may well be looking elsewhere for Moores’ permanent successor. Someone with international experience seems a sensible option with former Sri Lankan coaches Dav Whatmore and Tom Moody likely to be in the frame.

However, they would have to be tempted away from current posts with India A and Western Australia respectively, a prospect particularly unlikely in the case of Moody. Instead, Graham Ford, the highly respected former South Africa coach who has had rave reviews from his current role with Kent, has emerged as the most likely candidate.

In the meantime the most pressing issue for Strauss and the selectors will be their approach to the one-day captaincy. Strauss has a credible record in limited overs cricket but was dispensed with following the last world cup.

Given the current discord and the lack of a consistent opening partnership in the short form of the game, it would make sense for Strauss, in the short term at least, to assume the role of combined captain. At least it would be one less decision for poor old Hugh Morris to have to make.