Captain Strauss vows to win back dressing room
Andrew Strauss 'honoured' to be named permanent England captain and insists Kevin Pietersen has role to play in his team
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Friday, 09, Jan 2009 08:58
Andrew Strauss has spoken of his honour at being named as permanent successor to Kevin Pietersen as England captain and vowed to unite the dressing room.
A turbulent relationship between Pietersen and coach Peter Moores came to a head yesterday when the former resigned and the latter was sacked.
Pietersen, whose reign as captain lasted just five months, has said he plans to return to England's batting order as a regular member of the XI.
And Strauss, 31, said he had no problems about integrating his predecessor, a "good mate", in his plans.
"The Kevin stuff needed to be dealt with but he fully believed he did what was good for the team," Strauss told journalists at Lord's.
"We are good mates. He said he will support me and I believe he will."
An earlier statement from Strauss had gone further in its praise of Pietersen, saying: "I would like to thank Kevin Pietersen for his efforts as England captain.
"He is one of the greatest players in the world and I am delighted that he has confirmed that he is available to play in all our forthcoming fixtures.
"I fully believe that in everything Kevin did as England captain that he acted solely in what he felt was in the best interests of the team.
"I know Kevin extremely well and appreciate he may be bruised at the moment but he will bounce back and will be one of the most important figures going forward."
On the challenges ahead of healing a fractured dressing room reportedly divided into pro-Pietersen and pro-Moores camps, Strauss said: "I have always got on well with everyone in the dressing room.
"Although we have some strong characters, that's what you need in a cricket team."
Strauss, whose first challenge will be to take England to the Caribbean with the first Test in St Kitts on January 21st, previously led England to a 2-0 series victory over Pakistan in 2006 when standing in for the injured Michael Vaughan.
Now granted complete and permanent control of England he said he was relishing calling the shots.
"I can now run the team my way, in the past I was a stand-in, a temporary measure, but this gives me more control," he continued.
"It is a great honour to be named as England captain and I am looking forward to the challenges ahead.
"I recognise that this isn't the easiest time to take the role but clearly we have some exciting and world class players in our dressing room and the task ahead is to ensure that we play to the best of our ability in the months and years ahead."
Hugh Morris, managing director of England Cricket, added: "We have appointed a captain who we believe can harness England's best cricketing talent and mount a successful challenge on the forthcoming tour of the Caribbean and then for a year which culminates in the npower Ashes series followed quickly by a tour to South Africa."
Morris explained that the selectors would meet tomorrow to discuss the squad and captaincy for one-day and Twenty20 internationals, which Strauss currently does not play in.