We’d like to hear your thoughts today on the England captaincy reshuffle.
To summarise yesterday’s announcements, Andrew Strauss is retiring from ODI cricket and will now only skipper the test team. Alastair Cook becomes the new 50 over captain, while Stuart Broad will don the armband for Twenty 20.
For years we’ve endlessly debated the merits or otherwise of splitting or unifying the captaincy. Unscientific though this may sound, it probably doesn’t matter as long as the players perform to the best of their ability regardless. And anyway, the selectors have throughout made their decisions on the basis of practicality rather than principle.
Commentators seem to agree that Strauss has done the right thing by abandoning the pyjama game. The reduction of his workload will surely prolong his career and do wonders for both his sanity and personal life.
From our spectators’ perspective, Strauss never seemed to enjoy ODI cricket nearly as much as tests – or found it remotely as interesting. He nearly gave the impression it was more a duty – a chore, even – than a pleasure. But that’s not to suggest he didn’t take it seriously nor contribute his utmost. It’s a shame in a sense that his retirement comes just as his 50-over form had reached its zenith – he was our best batsman at the World Cup.
So what about Cook? Personally, as an England supporter, I’ve always been sceptical about the way he was anointed as our future test captain so early in his career, before he’d really proven either his ability or ambition. The selectors decided he would inherit the throne come what may, and have tried to arrange the furniture around him – even if it’s involved hammering a square peg into a round hole.
It’s not Cook’s fault that he fits the old-fashioned bill of England captaincy credentials – he went to public school, is genetically officer class, and plays for Essex – but his contrived predestination smacks of the wrong approach.
It does seem odd to make him captain in a form of the game he neither plays internationally nor is particularly good at. In 26 ODIs, Cook averages 33, at a strike rate of 71.4. Not terrible, but he’ll have his work cut out just to merit his place in the side. A tricky starting point for a new skipper.
On the other hand – did Geoff Miller and co have another viable option? Who else but Cook could feasibly replace Strauss as test captain in, say, three years’ time? Pietersen and Swann will be too old and maybe even retired. Trott will be 33, Bell 32, and neither of that pair exude any tangible leadership aspirations. Cook it shall be – unless a new player usurps him – and as he’s never going to captain his county, he must learn the ropes on the ODI field.
Unless, that is, Broad comes into the picture through a compelling performance as Twenty 20 figurehead. Has Andy Flower deliberately set Cook and Broad up in competition against each other? Quite possibly. If so, who will win? My money’s on the feisty blonde.
In terms of cricketing personality, I’ve always liked the cut of Broad’s jib. He’s more ebullient, dynamic and assertive than Cook, and possesses a naturally sharp cricketing brain. He has ticker. He’s up for it. Yes, that overspills too often into childish petulance, but the T20 captaincy is his opportunity to grow up and prove himself. And if he can, the test crown could still be within his reach.
Thoughts?
Maxie Allen
Good arguments Maxie. I don’t understand the need to appoint a captain long term. Why not appoint somebody else (KP?) as captain in both 50 over and T20 cricket until Cook has cemented his place in the ODI team, and Broad has matured a bit. To me, it smacks of slapping Pietersen in the face again. If we exclude his showdown with Moores, and let’s face it, Flower’s impact as team director has totally vindicated KP’s protest, then Pietersen was the outstanding choice – the only choice in my opinion. He’s a senior member of both the ODI and T20 side, plus his career needs a shot in the arm. I fear this snub will make him feel even more dejected and hasten his retirement from ODI cricket.
It seems the selectors would rather shoe-horn Cook and Broad into roles prematurely than give the best candidate both jobs. They’d also rather have 3 different captains (does any other nation do this?!) than give the outstanding candidate the job. People have forgotten what an excellent leader KP proved when he courageously led the team to India after the Mumbai terrorist attacks. However, as ever with English cricket, we have selected the clean shaven ahead of the loose canon. If other countries adopted this approach, then the likes of Ganguly, Ponting, and Imran Khan would never have captained their countries … and last time I looked, they were pretty bloody successful.
What would have been wrong with appointing a captain for the summer, or a run of games, to see how they do? Then a long term commitment to that person can be made. Both the identification of Cook/Broad, and the open ended nature of their appointments, were mistakes in my book. It all seems premature to me.
I don’t rate this decision at all. Neither cook or broad has any credentials to do the job (I exclude the Bangladesh tour as my auntie Bertha could have captained a winning side there and she’s dead)
It’s just kicking KP when he’s down and an ego that size won’t take a shoeing without some kind of blowback. If getting rid of him is the intention here then mission accomplished!
Broad is injured too often for my liking, shouts the odds at his team mates far too much (I would smack him if he shouted at me, captain or not!) and the unruly youngster act is wearing very thin now. He is a seasoned pro now and needs to act like one.
I see no problem with appointing the best man for the job right now. There isn’t any need to have captains for decades, I would be happy with a good summer!
Cook’s appointment is bizarre, as nearly as odd as appointing Cowdrey Jr as England captain. As for Broad, it might just be what he needs: he’s not appointed to be a diplomat but to win. But what about poor old Colly. Wins the world cup, breaks records as a Captain and the gets axed