As Lord's is his home ground, Andrew Strauss is unlikely to experience the ignominy suffered by predecessor Chris Cowdrey when he arrives to captain England in a Test for the first time.
 Strauss endured a difficult one-day series at the England helm |
Cowdrey was turned away by a Headingley gateman, who later said: "I didn't know he was the England captain, and he didn't tell me." The Kent batsman was the third of four England skippers in the summer of 1988 and the 10-wicket defeat to West Indies proved to be the last Test of career.
Strauss is England's fourth captain of the last 12 months, after Michael Vaughan, Marcus Trescothick and Andrew Flintoff, and their 77th leader overall.
But his portrait is emblazoned on a wall next to the North Gate at the home of cricket so it should not be difficult for him to gain admission.
And, whatever the result against Pakistan this week, Strauss's experience as a stop-gap skipper is unlikely to bear much resemblance to Cowdrey's.
The faces in the England side have been changed because of injuries, including Vaughan's career-threatening knee problem and Flintoff's troublesome ankle.
 | The team runs itself under the systems Vaughany has put in place |
But the structure around the side, much of it implemented by coach Duncan Fletcher when he took over in 1999, remains the same. Concerns remain over Flintoff shouldering the triple burden of batting, bowling and leading, but he is expected back for the second Test.
England's insistence that Vaughan remains the first-choice skipper despite being certain to miss the Ashes was described as "risible" by one senior newspaper correspondent this week.
But it maintains the hierarchy put in place when Vaughan took over from Nasser Hussain three summers ago.
No matter who is at the helm, England use a "management committee" of senior players, including the likes of Strauss, Flintoff and batsman Paul Collingwood.
"Ever since Michael Vaughan began leading the side in 2003, our ethos has always been that we need to go out there and enjoy ourselves," Collingwood told BBC Sport.
"The team runs itself under the systems Vaughany has put in place over the last couple of years."
Unlike Vaughan and Flintoff, Strauss proved his leadership ability in county cricket before his famous century on Test debut at Lord's two years ago.
| He was exceptionally good at realising when players need a bit of a word or explanation |
After Angus Fraser's sudden retirement in April 2002, he led Middlesex to promotion that season and helped maintain their First Division status the following year. All-rounder Jamie Dalrymple, who made his one-day international debut under Strauss last month, appreciated his help in the Lord's dressing room back then.
"Going into a county side is one of the toughest things to do and he made my life much easier," Dalrymple told BBC Sport.
"He was exceptionally good at realising when players need a bit of a word or explanation.
"He's aware of the fact not everyone is thinking the same thing at the same time. Everyone needs to be looked after slightly differently."
Vaughan uses an airy smile to disguise his gritty determination, while Flintoff uses raw emotion to motivate his charges.
Strauss has a lower profile on the field of play but is meticulous in his preparation, keeping a diary of every match and every innings, looking to adapt and improve.
His first experience of leading England was a tough as it could possibly be, as a young one-day side suffered their first home series whitewash in 13 years.
Their injury worries continue as they face Pakistan but England's strength in the Fletcher era has been the Test team, with Strauss a new cog in the machine.
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
