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Strauss gets captaincy nod ahead of Flintoff

Andrew Flintoff's alcohol-fueled escapade in the Caribbean was not behind England's decision to appoint Andrew Strauss as captain for the first Test against the West Indies, according to chairman of selectors David Graveney.

Strauss will lead England at Lord's, his Middlesex home ground, on Thursday in the absence of injured captain Michael Vaughan, out with a broken finger sustained batting against Hampshire's Australia quick Stuart Clark for Yorkshire last week.

Opening batsman Strauss captained England during last year's 3-0 home Test series win against Pakistan when Vaughan, who hasn't played a Test for 17 months, was previously sidelined.

However, Flintoff replaced Strauss as England captain for the subsequent ill-fated 5-0 Ashes thrashing in Australia.

But the 29-year-old Lancashire all-rounder was stripped of the vice-captaincy during the World Cup after staying out late drinking following England's group defeat against New Zealand in St. Lucia, an incident culminating with him being found on a pedalo in the early hours of the following morning.

Flintoff, in common with most of the England squad, had a World Cup to forget. But England hope that under new coach Peter Moores he will make a fresh start and regain the form that saw him rated the world's number one all-rounder after their 2005 Ashes triumph.

"I spoke to both of them and the selectors thought Andrew Strauss did a very good job last [northern] summer and at this time we want Andrew Flintoff to concentrate on his batting and bowling and not also have to think about captaining the side," Graveney explained on Sunday.

"It is a purely cricketing decision and I know that Peter Moores as the new coach has already said that every player starts with a clean sheet and the pedalo incident had no relevance to this decision -- we were looking at Andrew's current form and allowing him to focus on that," he said.

Flintoff, who became the first England captain since Johnny Douglas in 1920/21 to being on the wrong end of a 5-0 Ashes hammering, maintained his pace bowling form after Vaughan returned in the Caribbean and remains one of the team's leading quicks.

But his batting form has been poor.

He managed only two fifties during the Ashes and has passed 50 just once in his last 28 one-day internationals for England.

However, there were encouraging signs during his innings of 61 for Lancashire against a Hampshire attack featuring Shane Warne during last week's drawn County Championship match at the Rose Bowl.

Strauss's latest stand-in spell as captain may only last one match should Vaughan recover in time for the second of a four-Test series at Yorkshire's Headingley headquarters starting on May 25.
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