Andrew Strauss, England Cricket Face a Different Kind of Test

When England faces down their first delivery of the Test series on Feb. 4 at Kingston, the most pressure will not be squared at the bowler or the batsman, but will be sizing up England's Andrew Strauss.  With the past few weeks' drama surrounding the team, what they need now is a captain who can lead from the front, and also provide a stabilizing force for the entire team and coaching staff.

If any of the recent events have been teaching cases, hopefully Strauss has been taking notes as to how his conduct can sway the entire tour's momentum.

Strauss has always seemed to be a very levelheaded player and leader.  But the new challenges of his appointment as captain for all forms of the game could prove to be a real challenge for him as the tour progresses. 

Hopefully, Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff, and others can put these issues behind themselves as a team and support Strauss in his new role.  If they do not, then they will be hard-pressed to be successful in their endeavours in the Caribbean.

With Steve Harmison back and in the Test squad once again, there could be some in the England camp who are secretly wishing for him to regain the blistering impact of his 7-for-12 spell of the first test in 2004 at Sabina Park.  Only time will tell, however, if he feels up to the challenge.

As for Kevin Pietersen, if he is able to put himself in the right frame of mind, he could go far and above his average of 50 per Test innings. 

I would be looking for Paul Collingwood to be a "silent leader" for the squad. With his past experience with England and his performances with the bat, he could make quite a splash with the team while being a role model for the younger players.

As for meaning, look no further than Pietersen after this tour concludes.  If he has a great run with the bat, the tour will most likely be regarded as successful, no matter the outcome on the pitch.  If, however, the team does not "click" as expected, then it would be expected that Pietersen will be pasted with the blame for the team's demise.