Separate One Day Captains?
Brian Lara’s retirement from one day cricket, and in the process leaving the West Indies without a one day captain whilst retaining the test captaincy, once again resumes the debate whether you can have separate captains in different forms of the game.
I can see why Lara has retired from one day cricket - he’s 37 now and can’t really achieve more by staying on. The likelyhood is he would have been sacked as one day captain anyway, so would he have been able to stay on in the team? He is planning to retain the test captaincy, and the West Indies will be in a position England were in a few years ago when Hussain was test captain and Vaughan one day captain.
Now though, we’re in a real position where I think the question is going to be asked after the World Cup about our own captaincy. Vaughan blatently hasn’t done enough as a one day player to stay in the team, let alone be captain. When Vaughan took over the one day captaincy, it was seen thaty he was the natural successor to Hussain as test captain and it was a kind of apprenticeship. There is no reason why he should have failed like he has though - the best cricketers are just that and should be able to play both forms of the game, but who should take over, and does it have any bearing on the test captaincy?
Flintoff was seen as vice captain in both forms of the game until his pedalo episode, so may not be offered the job when he is probably the most obvious option. Strauss was overlooked for the test vice captaincy, and isn’t even sure of a spot in the one day side so couldn’t really be offered the job. The other name to throw into the hat is Collingwood. He has the experience and I think would make an excellent captain. He seems to come across well in interviews as a thinker, and has been around long enough to understand what it means.
So say Collingwood is the one day captain and Vaughan stays as test captain, does this cause potential problems? Especially then when in the test side Freddie and Strauss are considered above Colly in the leadership stakes? Its a minefield to be honest, and one I think the media will have a field day when it happens (because it will). I’d go for Colly as one day captain - keep Vaughan as test captain for the moment, and deal with any potential problems when they arise.
Would anyone do anything differently? Let me know!
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2 Responses to “Separate One Day Captains?”
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I’d keep with Vaughan as captain in both formats, you people have short memories, Vaughan is the best skipper we have had in recent years, he has been injured for about 18 months and has had no county cricket to prepare or get into form before international cricket, give him time, he is class and an inspired leader.
Hey Andy,
I get where you’re coming from and he is the best skipper we’ve had for a while, but his one day record is shocking, even when he was playing regularly.
81 Innings - a high score of 90* - And an average of just 26.56
I just think its time to move on from him.