Former England captain Stewart warns against stripping Strauss of captaincy

London: Former England wicketkeeper and captain Alec Stewart has said current skipper Andrew Strauss shouldn’t be removed, as this could have serious repercussions for the team in the future.

Stewart believes that no player should consider his spot in the team as guaranteed, but Strauss’ impeccable record as England captain, means he should be fully backed right now, especially as England is on the verge of losing their top ICC Test rank. England has lost four Test matches on trot, and would be looking to avoid another series defeat in the subcontinent when they play Sri Lanka in the second Test in Colombo, starting from Tuesday. “Andrew Strauss is not bullet-proof, and his place in the side is certainly not guaranteed. But, I am definitely not calling for England to drop their skipper for the second Test against Sri Lanka,” Stewart writes in his column for The Mirror. “No player has a divine right to be selected, whether they are captain or not and Strauss is no different,” he added. Stewart believes Strauss, should carry on leading the side, as he has the quality to get over his poor form. “Strauss is an astute individual, who sets high standards for both himself and his team. He will be fully aware that he is short of runs and that losing four Tests on the bounce, means England’s position as the No.1 side in the world will be lost if they don’t win this week’s Colombo Test,” Stewart writes. “Whenever a player goes through a barren spell his position will obviously come under scrutiny but people should be careful in what they wish for. Even if Strauss misses out with the bat again this week I still believe that the selectors must keep him in charge for the West Indies series at the start of summer,” he added. ANI