Andrew Strauss made right move at the right time, says Michael Atherton

Former England captain Michael Atherton has termed Andrew Strauss’ decision to call it a day as a good move, saying that the left-hander picked the right time to go.

On Wednesday, Strauss announced his retirement from professional cricket. His decision came in the wake of England’s 2-0 loss in the Test series against South Africa. Meanwhile, the skipper was a part of the controversy, stirred up by Kevin Pietersen a few
weeks ago.

Strauss, however, cleared the air by saying that Pietersen’s controversial text messages had no role in his decision. Atherton feels that Strauss’ loss of form was the main factor in his retirement, as he had been in gentle decline for the last 12 months.

“I believe him when he says he has been having these thoughts for a while. He’s been in gentle decline for a year or so.The time is right for someone else to take over," Atherton said, after Alastair Cook was appointed as England’s new Test captain.

On the other hand, England pacer James Anderson paid tribute to Strauss, and stated that it was quite sad to hear Strauss hanging his boots.

"He’s done so much for this England team not just as captain but also as a player. He will be missed but he hands over to a very fine replacement in Alastair Cook. Best of luck to Cooky and to Straussy in his future," he wrote on Twitter.

Strauss is England’s one of the most successful captains ever. He led his team to two consecutive Ashes triumphs. The list of his achievements includes England’s top position in the ICC Test rankings.

ECB chairman Giles Clarke also hailed Strauss’ services for the country, adding that Pietersen’s controversy did not play any part in his retirement.

"I think it was very clear from his (Strauss’s) comments prior to the last Test match that this matter has only recently reached a serious position and, therefore, it was no part of his decision-making process," said Clarke.

He added: "Andrew Strauss has embodied everything that the nation expects from the England cricket captain. For us all, it has been a rare privilege to work with such a remarkable man. But the game must move on and we must congratulate Alastair Cook as Andrew’s
successor."

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Posted by Rana Nasir Ghafoor on Aug 30 2012. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry