Captain Strauss to the Rescue?

Andrew Strauss is to be confirmed as England captain for the upcoming series against Pakistan. Ashes winning Captain Michael Vaughan is out of action for at least the next six to nine months as he is about to undergo further knee surgery. Stand in captain Andrew Flintoff is unavailable for at least the first two tests with ongoing ankle problems.

Consequently, steadying the ship as far as the England leadership is concerned was a matter of urgency for the England selectors.

While his captaincy aspirations have got off to a less than brilliant start with a 5-0 beating against Sri Lanka in the NatWest one-day series, Strauss will no longer be the captain who is the caretaker for the caretaker.

This is an excellent opportunity for Strauss to stake his claim for the Ashes captaincy ahead of the other more favoured contenders of Andrew Flintoff and Marcus Trescothick.