Fletcher's torment over the England captaincy

Duncan Fletcher has 認める that the contest to captain England in Australia this winter could not be closer.

The England coach 示すd that he and his fellow selectors have finally made up their minds over whether Andrew Flintoff or Andrew Strauss should take 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金 of the Ashes defence in November after first 主要な the 支持する／優勝者s トロフィー squad to India next month.

However, to を強調する how much thought he, David Graveney and Geoff Miller are giving the 事柄 before 発表するing their chosen man at The Oval tomorrow, the man who plotted that みごたえのある 敗北・負かす of Australia a year ago 示唆するd they 手配中の，お尋ね者 to run through the プロの／賛成のs and 反対／詐欺s one more time.

"We just want to finalise it, go away and make sure we 港／避難所't left something out of the マリファナ," Fletcher said.

Strauss's late 殺到する from 部外者 to favourite with at least some bookmakers continued 権利 up to the final winning 地位，任命する of another gruelling summer.

Having captained England, without the all-一連の会議、交渉／完成する 出資／貢献s of Flintoff, to a 罰金 実験（する） series victory over Pakistan, the Middlesex man led his injuryravaged 味方する to a three-wicket 勝利，勝つ against the same 対立 at Edgbaston to tie the NatWest Series 2-2.

"It's a very の近くに call. They've both done very 井戸／弁護士席," Fletcher said. "If circumstances had been different we would probably have a captain 発表するd by now. But it's been very difficult. You don't want to 急ぐ into things and then 悔いる a 決定／判定勝ち（する） you've made which could have been left as late as possible.

"Andrew Flintoff did very 井戸／弁護士席 earlier this year in India, which is not an 平易な place to captain a 味方する. Then he did 井戸／弁護士席 in the first part of the summer against Sri Lanka.

"But, at the end of the day, Andrew Strauss has put his 手渡す up under trying, if not more trying, circumstances with a 味方する that hasn't 含むd Freddie, who is a 抱擁する 特別手当 to any team.

"It's a 広大な／多数の／重要な 肯定的な from our point of 見解（をとる） because when Michael Vaughan t ook over you wondered where the next captain was coming from. But everything sorts itself out and now there are two 候補者s."

Sorting out, though, whether Flintoff's 率直に inspirational style of captaincy or Strauss's quieter, more understated method of leadership would be better ふさわしい to taking on Australia has 明確に given Fletcher and Co a few 頭痛s.

"I wish there was only one [候補者] and we wouldn't have had this difficult 決定／判定勝ち（する）," said the coach, a touch ruefully.

Whichever way the 判決 goes, it will be 決定的な for England that the captain and his 副 form a strong leadership 部隊.

"You want to play for your country and you want your team to 勝利，勝つ, so you do everything you can to make sure that happens," said Fletcher. "Knowing the characters I'm sure they will work together."

On 12 September last year, England 回復するd the Ashes after 存在 without them since 1989.

正確に／まさに 12 months later, on the ground where the 勝利 was 調印（する）d, the selectors will 指名する two 小旅行するing parties designed with the 意向 of covering every eventuality.

There will be 14 players going to the 支持する／優勝者s トロフィー with two more, probably Ashley Giles and Jimmy Anderson, …を伴ってing the squad to India in the hope of 完全にするing their 回復 from hip and 支援する 傷害s それぞれ.

The Ashes party will be 16-strong. But up to five more players will be 選ぶd to travel to Perth, where they will remain on 代替要員，物, training and かもしれない getting in some club cricket, in 事例／患者 増強s are needed.

"The two squads are going to be pretty difficult to 選ぶ but, because of the 傷害s, the 支持する／優勝者s トロフィー is perhaps a bit harder," Fletcher said.