‘Would love for Strauss to take my Ashes series winning skipper title,’ says Gatting

LONDON - Mike Gatting has nothing but praise for Andrew Strauss, the current England captain, who he believes has delivered on the promise he showed as a youngster.

Their paths first crossed in 1996 when Strauss was a 19-year-old on a summer contract at Middlesex. And while he had come from posh Radley School, his veteran teammate immediately realized this new kid on the block was no soft touch when it came to his cricket.

Gatting, 53, said he would love Strauss to take his crown as the latest English captain to win an Ashes series outright Down Under.

The former skipper has waited 24 years for an Englishman to follow in his footsteps and beat Australia on their own patch.

The Sun quoted Gatting, as saying: “I hope I do lose my title, it would be fantastic for us to win the current series outright. I don’t think the Aussies will be looking forward to the Sydney Test now.”

He added: “If Andrew does captain England to an outright win in Australia, he will be the third Middlesex man in a row to do it after myself and Mike Brearley - maybe there is something in that!

“Strauss is a fighter, the desire has always been there from a young age. I remember when he first came to Middlesex. You could tell he was a very strong character even in those younger days. He knew what he wanted, he was intelligent and had a calm head on his shoulders. He was prepared to put the hard work in, too,” Gatting said.

Gatting sees similarities between his victorious side of 1986-87 and the current one forged under Strauss and coach Andy Flower.

The veteran of 79 Tests believes the camaraderie of the players has been reflected in the share of wickets and runs during the series.

Were England to kick on from here and win the series outright, Gatting remains adamant it should be considered one of the country’s finest sporting achievements.

He added: “Winning Down Under is tremendous, it is something very special. Even if you draw a series it is a huge achievement. So, England should be very proud of what they have achieved. (ANI)