Full Circle: Michael Vaughan (OBE) becomes England Captain

On the surface it seems a bit crazy to anoint a captain who has not even played at the international level since last Spring. Add to that the recurring knee injuries, and it really seems wacky. But I thought it might happen because it allows England's star player, Andrew Flintoff, to save face. Selector chairman David Graveney's comment that Flintoff was "keeping the seat warm" for Vaughan was quite revealing. You can bet that if things had been reversed and Flintoff's team had won the Ashes 5-0, that seat would have burst into flames.

Vaughan really is a good captain, and if he survives the triangular series and bats reasonably well this choice will have been vindicated. But it reminds me a bit too much of the selection of Giles and Trescothick to the Ashes squad. They chose politics, continuity and personal sentiment over a realistic assessment of the situation. I believe the last overseas tour that went well for Michael Vaughan was 2 years ago in South Africa.

I was in favor of Strauss as captain from last Summer, and I still think it's the sanest choice. Flintoff didn't offer anything as captain that he didn't already offer as the team's most explosive player, and his ankle was also going to be a worry. Strauss did a good job in turning around the one-day series vs. Pakistan, and I thought he earned the job.