`Nobody should underestimate what is involved to do the job property': Paul Prichard, captain of Essex since 1995

 BACK IN 1995, when Paul Prichard took his first, diffident steps as leader of a county side, he could have been forgiven for feeling overawed. After all, he had become only the third Essex captain in 22 years and, of his new counterparts on the circuit, seven had more than five seasons' experience and three had more than ten.

He could have imagined himself a gauche gatecrasher among the sages and elders of the game, In fact, he probably did. Yet now, just three years on, Prichard finds himself the senior county captain.

Nobody is more surprised by this transformation than Prichard himself, especially as there were times when he felt he would not get through his first year in charge, let alone survive into a fourth. But then maybe this is the clue to it all. Prichard's early insecurities, and their source, are common to many in his position and largely explain why the job of the county captain is no longer just a perk or a status symbol; it can also be a risk to health and happiness.

The late 1990s have witnessed an unprecedented dropout rate among the captaincy fraternity, and not many of those heading through the exit doors have done so self-propelled, far less with the dignity and respect that accompanied Prichard's immediate predecessors at Chelmsford, Keith Fletcher and Graham Gooch.

There have been many unsatisfactory terminations and some that have been plain messy. In the quest for success, county clubs no longer have time or inclination for sentiment, nor even – in some cases – simple loyalty. One may say this is an inevitable, even a commendable by-product of increased competitiveness in the domestic game, but it too often betrays hamfisted man-management and does not always bring the desired results.

Some county committees adopt the blind conduct of headless chickens in installing a captain because he is famous/he is foreign/he costs a lot of money/he shouts in the dressing-room but smiles over drinks with the sponsors.

But for every new captain being fawned over at the pavilion gates with the usual, illogical belief in instant glory, there is someone heading through the back door with his disillusionments. This year alone, one-third of the 18 countries have new captains, and not in one case could it be said that the change was enforced by voluntary, honourable retirement.

 Dominic Cork's appointment arose from the unholy mess at Derby, Robin Smith's followed the resignation of a dismayed John Stephenson at Hampshire, and Chris Adams was lured to the south coast by a staggering salary offer and because Sussex were desperate for a `name' to replace Peter Moores. The close-season departures of Mike Watkinson and Rob Bailey were unsurprising, as neither had managed to inspire apparently well-equipped teams to perform in the Championship, but the most poignant of the ousted leaders was Tim Munton at Warwickshire.

Good chap, Munton. Everybody likes him, everybody wished him better last year, when his first full season as Warwickshire captain was obliterated by a back injury. He did not play at all – the team was led by a consortium of individuals in his absence – but the club told him he had time to prove his recovery and he looked forward to resuming the job properly this summer. Then, long before the fitness deadline he had been set, Munton was called in and informed that the committee had decided to make Brian Lara captain. Many, having been treated so poorly, would have had plenty to say, would perhaps even have sought to play elsewhere. Munton, admirable to the end, swallowed his resentment and was back bowling in the first team at the start of this season.

The county game was not always this callous, this committed to luring a star in the hope of convincing the members they mean business. Such cut-throat methods would be anathema to the county sides of a few decades back, when the game had a measured rhythm, most teams had no chance of winning the Championship, and accepted as much, and only the occasional captain – Colin Ingleby-Mackenzie, in 1961, perhaps – broke the mould and made something of an evidently modest side.

Take Essex, for instance. Fletcher, who led the side for 13 seasons and still patrols the dressing-room with his deliberately unspecified but hugely influential role, recalled in his autobiography how different things were when he first played for the county, under Trevor Bailey.

DROP THE PILOT: THE COUNTY CAPTAINS WHO HAVE DEPARTED SINCE 1995

Date	County	Captain	Reason	Replaced by	Any improvement
mid-1995	Hampshire	Mark Nicholas	Impending retirement	John Stephenson	Not a lot
	Worcestershire	Tim Curtis	`Lost confidence of team' ( Wisden	Tom Moody	7th in `96, 3rd last y ear
end 1995	Derbyshire	Kim Barnett	Stood down after 13 years	Dean Jones	Initial rise to 2nd – then tears
	Glamorgan	Hugh Morris	`To concentrate on batting'	Matthew Maynard	Won championship in `97
	Gloucestershire	Jack Russell	Return of overseas player	Courtney Walsh	Dropped 7 places
	Leicestershire	Nigel Briers	`Time for fresh voice'	James Whitaker	Won Championship in 1st season
	Northants	Allan Lamb	Retirement	Rob Bailey	Plummeted 13 places in Ch' ship
	Nottinghamshire	Tim Robinson	Stood down after 8 years	Paul Johnson	Dropped 6 places
	Yorkshire	Martyn Maxon	Stood down after 6 years	David Byas	Allround promise: no silverware yet
mid-1996	Durham	Mike Roseberry	Lack of form	David Boon*	Looking more professional
	Kent	Mark Benson	Injured – did not play	Steve March	Three-time runners-up in'97
	Somerset	Andy Hayhurst	Dropped from team	Peter Bowler	Not much to speak of
end 1996	Gloucestershire	Courtney Walsh	Not availiable in 1997	Mark Alleyne	Up 6 places
	Surrey	Alec Stewart	To concentrate onwicketkeeping	Adam Hollioake	Fell a bit in Ch'ship, but won B & H
	Sussex	Allan Wells	Sacked – and left	Peter Moores	Botham in both leagues
	Warwickshire	Dermot Reeve	Retired through injury	Tim Muntonâ€	Winning ways went on
mid 1997	Derbyshire	Dean Jones	Walked out in disgust	Dominic Cork‡	Too early to say
	Middlesex	Mike Gatting	Too much on plate as selector	Mark Ramprakash	Impressed the pundits
end 1997	Hampshire	John Stephenson	Stood down	Robin Smith	Lacks bowling firepower
	Lancashire	Mike Watkinson	Lack of Championship success	Wasim Akram	Too early to say
	Northants	Rob Bailey	Lack of any success	Kevin Curran	Poor early 1-day form
	Sussex	Peter Moores	Carrot for…	Chris Adams	Not in B & H, but early Ch'ship win
	Warwickshire	Tim Munton	Fitness doubt; and carrot for…	Brain Lara	Some misgiving about tactics

 Simon Brown took over for rest of 1996; Boon appointed for'97. †Munton was injured and unable to play; Andy Moles, Nick Knight & Neil Smith shared job. ‡ Phil DeFreitas took over after Jones left; Cork appointed for'98

Room at the top: Prichard in the captain's quarters at Chelmsford. He is only the third occupant in 22 years, following Keith Fletcher and Graham Gooch

` Essex in the early `60s were absurdly unprofessional by modern standards… gentle net sessions made up the proved another stumbling block.

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