There are various clichés which could come into Angus Fraser's mind as he prepares to captain Middlesex for the first time this season: 'baptism of fire', maybe, or 'poisoned chalice'. But no, the broad-shouldered paceman is using words like 'pleasure' and 'honour' as he embarks on another season.

Big Gus is actually relishing the challenge of leading Middlesex, despite the fact that the county have finished in the bottom three every year since 1998, and that since last season they have lost their top two batsmen – Justin Langer, Fraser's predecessor as captain, and Mark Ramprakash – as well as paceman Richard Johnson.

It's not all gloom for Fraser, though; New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming has been brought in for his first taste of county cricket and should help offset the loss of the two run-scorers. However, it would still take an extreme optimist to believe that an easy time lies ahead.

"Meeting challenges head on is something that any successful player has to do most days of his career," said the 46-cap Test bowler. "It is a prospect he should look forward to and thrive on.

"The honour of captaining Middlesex, I have no doubt, should provide me with one of the bigger challenges of my career.

"Daunting a job as it may appear from the outside, the chance, at this stage of my career, of achieving something special through moulding a team to play the way you feel they should, as well as attempting to create a positive working environment where players feel free to express themselves is a challenge I would be foolish to refuse."

Fraser admits that captaincy was not something he had deliberately sought and for many years was always happy to let someone else take the reins.

"Captaining a county until recently has never been a burning desire of mine," he said. "I generally have been happy with my lot, always keen to be involved and to have a voice but content to accept my responsibilities and make sure I carry them out.

"I have always preferred to leave this job to those cricketers with egos - unsurprisingly, on most occasions, they have tended to be batsmen."

It was not until 1998 that he first thought about leading a side; that was when he was tipped to succeed Michael Atherton following an unsuccessful tour of the West Indies. "It made me think for the first time, 'Why not? It can't be that big a deal, have a go'.

"Accepting this challenge, as I have, now means that no longer can I just talk a good game, I now have the opportunity and am on the spot to put it into practice."

It is not so long ago that the name Middlesex was synonymous with success and their fall from grace has been quite dramatic.

Fraser said: "Everyone at the club, who was involved during the glory days, when winning silverware seemed second nature, has obviously been very distressed and disappointed by our recent performances.

"It is not through lack of effort we are struggling but finding a successful formula is proving as hard a task as explaining one when you are winning.

"Yes, we have a young, relatively inexperienced squad but to me true confidence, or lack of it, is our major problem. True confidence is not just talking upbeat and kidding yourself; it is when, as a side, you have a deep down belief you are good enough.

"At the moment it is something I don't believe we have enough of. It is something that only comes through a prolonged period of winning - it really is a Catch 22 situation.

Fraser added: "Of course, we don't, at this moment in time, have a side capable of winning First Division titles but a side whose realistic goal should be gaining promotion in both the Championship and one-day league.

"Achieving this would give me as much pleasure as anything in my career."

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