Apply the Bradman test, and the stand-in stands out

View from Oz

True believers are convinced Nasser Hussain must have sinned on the quiet, that there can be no other explanation for this freakish run of misfortune which has suddenly delivered him the captaincy of the Purgatory XI. Cricket followers have a simpler explanation: check the technique.

Sympathy is warranted but should not cloud the fact that Hussain, most recently England's mental strength, now has a serious physical problem that needs urgent managing. All batsmen take hits to the hands, and not only when balls "explode" from the pitch – but how many suffer consecutive bone breaks serious enough to disrupt their careers? Hussain's batting gloves might need beefing up, but a better bet might be more work on the orthodox avoidance techniques – sharpening up body sway and reassessing the position of the hands in the shot.

When a successful captain becomes indisposed it inevitably creates confusion; witness the reactions of Darren Gough, Mark Butcher and Alec Stewart to the vacancy and the unofficial anointment of Marcus Trescothick ahead of the only realistic solution – Michael Atherton.

Not so long ago, Australia went through a similar upheaval when Steve Waugh's hamstring problem threatened to become chronic. In Waugh's temporary absence, the then vice-captain, Shane Warne, did brilliantly and his success led to a loudish whispering campaign: Warne for Waugh. While this was playing out, Ricky Ponting was being mentioned as a future leader.

Suddenly, Australian cricket followers were being asked to consider a "dream team", Warne and Ponting. Yet, for all that there is no more stable unit in world cricket today than Waugh's Australians.

Some might argue that immature, anti-social behaviour by Warne and Ponting, and the subsequent vice-captaincy appointment of Adam Gilchrist, hastened the end to conjecture about Waugh's future. The truth is that if Australian cricket had not properly managed Waugh's injury he would not have been there to lead from the front. Imagine what Australia's plight might have been had instability continued and it's possible to anticipate the problems England could face if they don't secure Hussain's fitness.

Historically, the England captaincy has been unstable. In almost 125 years Australia have had 41 captains. England had named their 41 by the 1947-48 season, when Lancashire's Kenneth Cranston, an all-rounder, lost the toss in the First Test against West Indies in Barbados. No Australian is surprised when told it was a singular experience for Kenneth. Still, picking captains is no easy business. Sacking them always seems simpler, whether it's for losing too often, batting too slowly, or even for being a larrikin.

The late Sir Donald Bradman had a fairly straightforward theory about potential captains, expounded in his book The Art Of Cricket. Those who would criticise the English selectors for reverting to Atherton in preference to the relatively Test-young Trescothick or the fast bowler Gough might like to apply the Bradman test to the candidates: "It is essential the captain enjoy the respect and confidence of his team. His cricket record must be such that he is looked up to as a player. Loyalty built upon admiration and respect is a powerful force.

"A captain has to be confident but not arrogant. His private life must be beyond reproach. Sheer sporting prowess is not regarded as a sole qualification to become a captain.

"A great captain does not have to be his team's finest player but it must be to advantage that his selection is in no doubt. The man who is not sure of his position can scarcely have that freedom of mind which a captain needs. It is far easier for a specialist batsman to handle the position than a bowler, an all-rounder or a wicketkeeper."

Atherton seems to fit that bill. There could have been a case for Trescothick only if Hussain's injury had come later in the series and England had no chance of winning back The Ashes. Then "the future" would come into play.

This England were barbecued at Edgbaston and without Hussain at Lord's, and possibly one or two other batsmen surely more accomplished than either Ian Ward or Usman Afzaal, it is not the challenge to throw to a captain wearing L-plates. Even for a cricketer as seasoned as Atherton the order is per the cliché – tall.

Bradman had this to say about the challenge of captaincy: "I don't know any game which entails such a severe and prolonged strain on the skipper. There are so many ways in which a captain must be constantly thinking. Whether the field placing is just right. Whether the bowler needs a spell. One of the greatest arts is in being able to anticipate a batsman's weak spot."

Waugh's bowlers have easily seized on the weaknesses of Atherton's batsmen – mental as much as physical – and, at short notice, it's difficult for Atherton to do anything about that. To have a winning hope at Lord's, Atherton has to create a less amateurish result from his fieldsmen and bowlers.