Cricket: Decision on captain

ENGLAND'S new captain is expected to be named today with either Alec Stewart or Nasser Hussain becoming Mike Atherton's successor. England's chairman of selectors, David Graveney, will reveal the new Test skipper at Lord's at 10.30am as well as almost certainly confirming that Adam Hollioake will continue his secondary role as one-day captain.

Graveney, when narrowing the field down to Stewart or Hussain last week, said the selectors' deliberations had been based on the need to put out the strongest and best-balanced XI against the South Africans this summer,

That means Stewart taking back the wicketkeeping duties and creating room for an extra front-line bowler or a promising youngster to go in at No 7.

The dilemma for the selectors is how best to utilise Stewart's talents without compromising his desire to bat high in the order. They will also have had to consider how the captain's job would affect his game.