Strauss starts to profit as penny drops with England
Andrew Strauss led by example in Barbados but should he be England's permanent one-day captain
George Binoy
25-Feb-2013
Andrew Strauss led by example in Barbados but should he be England's permanent one-day captain? asks Mike Selvey in the Guardian.
To reiterate, though, this was a low target and as such the question remains whether Strauss, in particular on slower pitches, has the weight of stroke necessary to find the really big shots at the top of the innings. Towards the end, with a fielder brought up from the boundary to mid-on, he carted a six over long-on. It was the ninth he has hit in 82 one-day internationals, and, just clearing the rope as it did, it had still required the kitchen sink being thrown at it. Gayle hit 13 over the weekend. So, brilliantly as Strauss played, we should not be seduced into thinking that all top-order one-day problems have been solved: he may not have a gear beyond that he has revealed.
Nearly three months on, having stabilised affairs from the forced resignation of Kevin Pietersen and sacking of Peter Moores, Strauss can end a discordant winter by leading England to victory in the one-day series against West Indies, writes Richard Hobson in the Times.
George Binoy is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo