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Scyld Berry concludes that the time is not right for the Surrey stalwart's reign to end

It is not a question of whether Nasser Hussain will succeed Alec Stewart but when - now or next spring? And it is a debate which will run for a week or two as David Graveney, England's chairman of selectors, has asked for ``the maximum time'' to be taken before the England captaincy is decided: in other words the selectors have until a week before the first Test, starting at Edgbaston on July 1.

In Stewart's favour is the fact that England have won their last two Tests at home, when no less a critic of England than Allan Donald says they out-fought South Africa. This memory may have been obliterated by England's World Cup performance, when they proved to be a good side against ordinary teams and an ordinary side against good teams, but it remains true that they won a major series last summer.

In their last two Tests abroad England beat Australia in Melbourne and scrapped until their last gasp in Sydney, after losing yet another crucial toss. Throughout the Ashes series indeed, though they lost 3-1, England played with a passion they have not managed in the 20 years since World Series Cricket made the whole international game more professional, except when Ian Botham had the 1981 and 1985 Australians on the run.

Provided his mind and feet are in order, Stewart deserves to remain as captain for the series against New Zealand this summer, and the tour of South Africa this winter, to see if he can rekindle the passion which makes a side devoid of great players into a street-fighting mid-table side. If he never plays a one-day game for England, so be it. But as the only England captain to have won a major series at home since 1985, and at the first attempt, Stewart should be given another go as Test captain.

England, moreover, must defeat New Zealand by the handsome margin of at least two Tests. For the host country to be knocked out of the World Cup after the qualifying round might be considered the mother and father of all anti-climaxes, but it would be made worse still if England were to be held or beaten by New Zealand: and such a result, all else being equal, must be likelier under a new captain who has mistakes to make and learn from, even though Hussain will ultimately prove the better captain.

It is also preferable for England to visit South Africa under a captain who has toured there before, as Stewart has, whereas Hussain has only wintered there. It may be, of course, that Stewart cannot recover his batting form, which has deserted him in the past for months on end, and has to be replaced before then: for example, after two of the four Tests against New Zealand.

If he can recover it, the natural timetable would be for Stewart to continue captaining and opening the batting, but not keeping wicket, until the end of the South Africa tour. Hussain would then have two Tests against Zimbabwe next summer in which to settle down before the five-Test series against West Indies. The selectors are also considering the idea of appointing an official vice-captain, which they have not done at home since 1991, in order to designate Hussain heir apparent.

Were the tabloids to have their way, Hussain would already be captain and Stewart swinging from the yard-arm. They need a rapid turnover of people to build up as heroes and bring down as villains. But English cricket does not need a rapid turnover of captains, it needs more stability. Although Stewart's reign may seem longish, it has actually lasted a fortnight above one year.

Stewart is needed as an opening batsman, too, if New Zealand are to be beaten. Michael Vaughan, of Yorkshire, might be a Test batsman or just a brave player of the short ball who is too tall and inflexible when the new ball is moving around: there is no way of telling from an A tour, where the opposition is no better than in county cricket. Vaughan must also cure a habit of dropping important catches.

Given a measured timetable, Hussain could expect to last for two or three years if he took over next summer, and would make the ideal captain to lead England in 2000-2001 on their first Test tour of Pakistan since 1987. Apart from having a Muslim name, Hussain led England's bridge-building A tour to Pakistan in 1995-96 and, playing so late, is one of England's best players of spin, albeit that does not say much.

When Hussain was vice-captain to Mike Atherton on the 1996-97 and 1997-98 tours, there were concerns about whether a man known for short fuses and selfishness in his youth could command the support of senior players if he was promoted. They were answered earlier this year, not when he was playing but when he had 12th man duties in the first half of the one-day series in Australia and again in Sharjah. By doing the dishes and scrubbing the floors without complaint, he demonstrated that he was mature enough to give such commands himself. Now it is simply a question of timing.

To go with his recently acquired temperament and man-management skills, Hussain has more of a feel for the game than Stewart, who depends more on leading by example. Stewart has not helped himself by some of his selections either, like picking Alex Tudor for the slow pitch at Sydney and Adam Hollioake in his World Cup team. Captains will usually lean towards players from their own counties, but those with better judgment will be persuaded not to go too far.

What Stewart needs above all, though, is a break from cricket, and not just a physical one. Even when he returned from the tour of Australia, his month 'off' was filled with media demands as the captain of the host country in the World Cup. Stewart's long sequence of cheap dismissals should be first put down to mental staleness and lack of concentration, not yet to age.

If Hollioake had been a better batsman and able to hold down the No 6 position in England's one-day side, he would have remained captain of it. Then Stewart would have been relieved of much of the pressure which has ground him down, and the debate about his successor would not be set to dominate the coming weeks, or even taking place at all.