England Cricket / Frank Gregan / 05 September 2011 /

England's all-conquering Test captain has already hatched plans for the next stage of his career and it involves sunnier climes than are to be found in the British Isles...

Andrew Strauss announced last week that he is launching a new cricket academy. This is a cracking piece of current trivia to get the old grey matter whirring when you visit the watering hole after work. Take a guess, where would Andrew Strauss be likely to set up an academy?

The English captain's home county Middlesex is the first place that springs to mind. Hayes, Southall, Uxbridge, there's a list of about 20 towns that you could rattle through and still not come up with the solution. You need to spread the net wider and to help you get the right answer here's a clue - the place starts with the initial S.

He's the English skipper therefore English towns and cities beginning with the letter S is the next logical list to work through. Slough, Sheffield and Southampton, keep guessing, you're not even warm, you're not even in the right country!

Aha, of course, Andrew Strauss might be one of the best England captains of all time but he is a native of South Africa, perhaps he's going back to the old country. Great logic, wrong answer. It's time to reveal all before your drinking buddies lose the will to live, (you can only milk these things for so long) the answer is St Lucia in the Caribbean.

Strauss has a holiday villa on the island and hopes to give something back to the locals by passing on his knowledge to their youth. There will be those that say his priority should be the nurturing of England's next generation of cricketers rather than kids who should be looking up to Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard.

The property magnates of St Lucia probably offered an abundance of sweeteners to the England captain in order to get him to put his name to the academy and give his endorsement to the luxury holiday development that he uses. Good on him, he's earned every perk he gets.

Most English cricket supporters (myself included) were underwhelmed when Strauss was appointed captain but he, along with Andy Flower, has done a job that would be hard to believe if you read it in a 'boys own' comic. He deserves the rewards and let's face it, if given the choice between holidaying and coaching in St Lucia or Skegness which one would you choose?

What's really interesting about this project is that St Lucia turned to the English captain and not to one of the West Indian stars. Could it be that the West Indies' fall from grace has been so bad and the in-fighting throughout the organisation so bitter that the West Indian players are no longer seen as role models?

It's also indicative of how England's standing in the world game has improved. A couple of years ago it wouldn't have been to England that the St Lucians turned to to find an inspirational figurehead for their venture, it would've been Australia, South Africa or India. Heck, they probably would have taken a look at Zimbabwe and Bangladesh before England! The knockers can moan all they like but Strauss being asked to pass on his knowledge and experience in a foreign country reflects the respect that there now is for English cricket.

England's Midas touch continued at the weekend when the heavens opened in Durham and saved Alastair Cook and his men from likely defeat. Even when they are outplayed it seems England can't lose. The Indians will feel aggrieved but they have given themselves a platform, something to build on after their dire summer.

The bad news for them is that the weather forecast in Southampton tomorrow looks about as bright as their Test performances and if play is possible it's likely that the conditions will heavily favour the English bowlers. England are [1.66] to win with the Indians at [2.5]. Surprisingly, NO in the completed match market is a very big [2.9].

If the rain lashes down in England the Test captain can head off to the sun drenched shores of St Lucia. For the sake of English cricket, let's hope he comes back!

'.$sign_up['title'].'

'; } } ?>

:

:

:

?

: