/ Editor / 31 January 2011 / Leave a Comment 
What would maverick Mike Brearley's advice to Andrew Strauss be?
"During the 1979 tour Down Under, Brearley put the entire field (including the wicket- keeper) on the boundary ropes when three runs were required off the last ball."
Down in the dumps as England crash to defeat in Australia, Frank Gregan remembers three colourful, controversial and occasionally brilliant cricketers who Andrew Strauss' men could gain inspiration from in the subcontinent.
You can put as brave a face on it as you like but the fact is this has been a bitterly disappointing One Day series for England. Trailing 4-1, with a couple of dead rubbers to play, it's time to move on and look at the next big challenge.
A month ago, England were expected to win the Ashes, batter the Aussies in the One Day series, solve the global financial dilemma, win the World Cup, come up with a solution to the Middle East crisis, improve their Test ranking and find a cure for cancer. Andy Flower and Andy Strauss were all things to all Englishmen, nothing was impossible under their leadership.
Welcome to international cricket, four weeks later the dream is shattered, and now a World Cup win looks about as likely as Sepp Blatter getting an invite to Prince William's wedding! England need inspiration and, as there seems to be very little waiting in the wings, it's necessary to delve back into the past to come up with three names that could make a real difference to the team and lead England to their first 50 over World Cup win...
Mike Brearley
A cricketing enigma if ever there was one. Brearley played 39 Tests for England and skippered the side during 31 of those matches. He was a captain who could apparently get inside the heads of of his players and inspire them to great performances. He was also one of the old school 'win at all costs' types. During the 1979 tour Down Under he put the entire field (including the wicket- keeper) on the boundary ropes when three runs were required off the last ball. Shades of the Chappell brothers!
He had an exceptional record as a Test skipper, during the 31 Tests that he led his country they were only beaten four times. There was one teeny weeny flaw in Brearley's make up however, he wasn't a very good cricketer! He didn't bowl and he didn't bat too well either, his Test average was a meagre 22.88!
Douglas Jardine
Good old Dougie! A true English gentleman (born in Bombay, of course) who displayed the sportsmanship and sense of fair play of a Roman Emperor in the Colosseum! Who needs stumps to bowl at? Ribs and armpits are a much smaller target and require a greater level of skill to hit! Sadly, he died 13 years before the first ODI was played so he wouldn't have a clue how to win a World Cup!
Mike Gatting
Mr Diplomacy himself, the man who stood up for the Land of Hope and Glory by wagging his finger at Shakoor Rana. Rana was devastated and refused to take the field until Gatting apologised. He duly did (after having been ordered to do so by the ECB) and the series continued with as much bonhomie as a murder trial! It did raise questions about home country umpiring, particularly the old chestnut about Javed Miandad never been given out LBW in Pakistan despite being hugely prone to that method of dismissal when touring. Gatting went on to lead England to an Ashes win Down Under in 1987, a feat that was not repeated until... this year!
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England are currently [7.2] to win the ICC World Cup that gets underway on February 19. The three captains listed above have all made a memorable contribution to English cricket but seriously, most English fans are more than happy with what they've got. Andy Strauss (undoubtedly aided by Andy Flower) is doing a superb job and has put a smile back on the face of English cricket. They can be forgiven this latest series. Winning the World Cup would more than make up for it!
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