Michael Vaughan steps down

I had planned to write a post about yesterday's Test match and how we shouldn't get hysterical about the defeat. How South Africa had beaten us - in the end - rather than England beating themselves, as appeared apparent in the first innings. About how Graeme Smith should be lauded as a brilliant batsman and captain, a man who is never beaten, and how he has created a side that sooner or later will be regarded as the best in the world.

Above all, I wanted to write about how this had been a fantastic rollercoaster of a Test match and that despite the loss it was actually a great advert for the game. Who needs Twenty20 when a four-day match can be so enthralling? And then Michael Vaughan threw the plan out of the window by resigning as England captain.

I imagine much will be made by the papers tomorrow of Vaughan pausing to choke back the tears as he spoke in a press conference of how proud he had been to captain England and how proud his family had been of him. Comparisons will no doubt be made to Kim Hughes, another captain who blubbed as he said goodbye. But the tears do not lessen Vaughan in my eyes. They show a man who cared deeply about doing his job well and who realised that finally he was absolutely, terminally shattered and that was affecting his primary role of scoring runs.

He had given his all to captaining England, tasting immense success and occasional terrible failure. Yesterday was the first time he had lost back-to-back Tests, an astounding fact given that he was in the job for five years. Lucky him to miss the last Ashes series with injury. And a great shame that he won't be leading England in the next quest to regain the Ashes.

So farewell Michael Vaughan. Parting is such sweet sorrow. In your own words, you always gave it 110 per cent. He is taking a break from the final Test but hopes to return to the England side as a batsman only. I hope he does. Vaughan at his best is one of the most beautiful sights on a cricket field. Let's cross our fingers and wish that his trademark cover drive is unfurled a few more times.

It was probably only a coincidence that Vaughan is running away with our Pillock of the Month poll for his comments about Jonathan Agnew, although it came on the back of 53 per cent of you saying he should step down as captain after the Headingley Test. The power of Line & Length's readership should not be underestimated. A few more polls and we can think about taking over from the MCC as the moral custodians of cricket.

As for his successor, speculation is growing, especially given that Paul Collingwood has also stood down as ODI captain, that Kevin Pietersen will be asked to take charge at the Oval for the final Test (what a shame the series isn't alive when KP comes out for the toss with his old buddy Smiff) and then the selectors will take a view on the long term. There is no shortage of candidates: Strauss, Cook, even (but please no) Flintoff.

For my money, and out of a sense of natural justice because he was denied the captaincy in Australia, I would like to see Strauss in the role. But he has to deserve his place as a batsman. If we follow the Australia system of picking someone whose place is cast-iron, then that will be Pietersen, which means that his odd motivational tactic of bottom-patting will be used in the Test arena for the first time. Then again, knowing the vagaries of the selectors, it will probably be Ian Bell.

Vote now - and if you want someone else click "comments" to let us know who.

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Comments

[Douglas Arnold]

Now let's see?
Captain with the 'right' accent? Not a realistic approach to captaincy choice. No public school, Oxbridge edgeyumicated, over privileged twits then. The Broderbond spy? The fat man from Kent? The pedello piss artist? Or the Baroque rocker?
For me, it has to be Pieterson. He is arrogant, ambitious, a risk taker and hates his own mistakes. Sounds like a winner to me!

[Mike]

Rob Key is the man. He'll come in and sweep out the complacency that has set in to the English dressing room. He'll annoy a few people along the way (mainly those behind him in the queue at lunch) but I think he's the best contender for the role.

[Vinay Mehra]

Pieterson is currently the best English player but that does not necessarily transfer to being a good captain. A captain has to be a good tactician and strategist. Based on limited evidence, Strauss seems to have those qualities more than Pieterson. Flintoff never had those qualities as was evidenced in the 2006 Ashes series in Australia.

[Richard Walker]

I would personally make Robert Key of Kent the new England captain.
He is a good captain for Kent and a good player with a good head on his shoulders.
Pieterson would be the wrong player to choose as it would not only ruin his current form but he neither has the experience of being a captain and it is too early.
Sorry Kevin you are not a team man and you have to curb your shot selection to enable you to make worthwhile team scores.

[Tom Williams]

MV was an excellent captain, but like Fletcher the 2005 truimph became a stick to beat him with, newspapers and pundits harking back to that ashes win and how England have gone downhill ever since. Real shame it has come to this, hopefully he will go back to yorkshire and rediscover his form and become the player he was when he scored 600 runs against australia in 2002.

Making KP captain would be a mistake, Flintoff was our best player and we made him captain ahead of Strauss. It was a disaster - i hope it isn't repeated. Strauss did well enough last time and his confidence was shattered by the Flintoff saga, make him captain with a view to Cook getting the role in the long run.

[Quarkian]

I am a big Kent fan (will be at Lords on 16 August) but I am not a fan of Rob Key's captaincy.

His success is down to having a good team - but his captaincy can be very formulaic and unimaginative.

He is not good when winning the toss - often making a poor decision because 'Kent are good at chasing / defending' but taking little notice of pitch / weather conditions.

He is also poor when it comes to his bowlers - often sticking to Plan A even when it fails - there is no Plan B, C, D etc.

I also think he would struggle with only four frontline bowlers - he is used to having at least five when playing for Kent.

[JF]

For once I'm looking back, not forward. Thanks due to Michael Vaughan, my lord, for all he has done. Not without his flaws but one of the best (if not the actual best) captains of England in the time I have watched my cricket (since early 80s).

Right time to go if his head was no longer in it. Better to let England move on as soon as possible.

JF

[Jim]

A number of England captains weren't born in this country including C Cowdrey? Pieterson has an English parent - so why is he not English? Some countries are far looser with their qualification - NZ rugby, Irish footy, Scotland anything and what about that great aussie George Gregan?

PS why so many aussies commenting on our captain? We don't care who your captain is, actually I can't even remember

[chris]

Darren Pattinson

[IAN]

KEY'S RECORD AGAINST AUSTRALIA,1,1,47,23,0,52,3,14.
NOT EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED IS IT.

[L A Odicean]

Kevin Pietersen would be the obvious choice to replace Vaughan if it weren't for his accent. Do we really want an England captain with a southern hemisphere accent again?

It was bad enough having to listen to Tony Greig but at least he had a good cricketing brain.

What's wrong with Strauss apart from the association with Viennese popular music? But he doesn't have an Austrian accent and, as far as I know, has never been to see die Fledermaus (even though he certainly knows how to 'bat').

[gavin Smitsdrop]

The world is too small for two of us!
Narcicissist

[John D Traynor]

Ian Bell.

Pietersen and Flintoff are not bright enough, Strauss and Cook are not certain of their places in the one-day side.

[colin macpherson]

Robert Key for me!
English, in form and not too likely to blub if he does not score well.
Also Ramps to replace Bell. Ramps the most prolific batsman and "team player" without the KP arrogance.

[Steve Mac]

If even half of the England team showed the guts and determination that le Tour runner up Cadel Evans demonstrated (labelled a choker by this paper for coming second with no team support) this blog would be redundant. The 2005 Ashes has proven to be a flash in the pan. Give to any one of them - if Vaughan couldn't do it, none of them can.

[Peter McGuinness]

Key?

Great idea. Yes please.

Although, I would like to see the odds on Paul Nixon.

Please remember that Paul was single handedly responsible for crushing the spirit out of the Australian population during the Commonwealth Bank Series of 2007, and putting Aussie cricket to a well-overdue fiery death.

However, Pom logic would have it that since a traditional English Non-Scoreboard Contributing Captain has now departed, the cycle thus calls for:

a) A South African (or similar);
b) Someone already performing 3 crucial tasks;
c) Someone who would rather die or;
d) Someone who is all of the above

to take the peculiar levers of the English Cricket Team in hand.

Therefore I am unlikely to get my wish for Keys or Nicco. But who knows? No matter. There's little that could distract from this entertainment. Aside from the accidental selection of someone suitable of course. Which - at a glance - is astronomically unlikely to occur.

Good luck. We shall be watching with avid interest, as always.

[Rusty]

I see there is not one little comment here about Michael Vaughan - how glad/sad to see him go, or "what's he doing pulling out mid-series" and "good luck for the future" stuff. Just everyone opinionating on who should be captain next. Ashes hero Vaughan (and Collyflowers) consigned to the dustbin of ex-es with nary a backward glance.

You English are an odd lot. Hopefully you all made the appropriate noises else where.

(Perhaps it's just me but I thought South Africa were rather dull. Apart the the excess of man boobs and bellies on display, which might account for the Saffers' mediocre fielding, Smith's 152 was one of the less inspiring knocks, other than for sheer bull-dog tenacity, I have seen for years. Yes, I know he had bad back, but he made Simon Katich look like VVS Laxman.

As the Test ground slowly to a halt I couldn't help but for the first time think longingly of the shorter formats of the game. I thought the Saffers looked turgid the way only South African cricketers can. And I'm normally fond them of, too. Really, the liveliest moments of the series were supplied by Flintoff and Monty)

[KWC]

What about a recall for Mike Brearley?

[pablo]

Ian Bell - i think it will improve his ame and he is gos captain with experience thourgh the ages

[Dominic]

I think Rob Key is probably the best candidate for captain, especially seeing his leadership of Kent in recent years. Its rather dispiriting that their are not any real stand out candidates in the team itself. KP, despite being the best batsman, seems inepxeprienced - more so Cook. Strauss isn't in the one day side and could probably have the same runs issue as Vaughan.

The only problem with Key is that picking him would probably mean dropping Collingwood since I think Flintoff has to bat at No. 6 and operate as part of a five man attack.

Realistically, I think that KP will get the nod, shift up to three and either Broad or Harmison will come in.

[Rob]

Thanks MV for the memories. It's been a great 5 years. It's probably the right time to go - always better to go on your own terms. You're right up there with Nasser Hussain as legendary England captains.

[Patrick]

We can't risk KP losing form although I have no problem whatever with where he was born. Key is an experienced captain and in form. The same pressure to score runs applies equally to Strauss who has already been dropped once in the past 2 years. Strauss has shown he can bat well with the captaincy but he has had to start from scratch with his battin since 2006 and he isn't in the one day set up.

I say Key until after the ashes and then if it doesn't work out they can take a risk on KP or even Cook. Key would make a good one day captain as well judging by Kent's 20/20 success.

[Ben]

Jimmy, you have dung for brains...what about Strauss? SA born? You living in the dark ages. If it wasn't for South African players, your team would have done even worse. Bring on KP!

[Alex Lewis]

Mr Strauss for captain, please

[Patrick]

Rob Key please.