Hollioake's deeds speak loudest on captaincy

England's former one-day leader dislikes speculation about recall but hard experience has groomed him for top role

His name may be bandied about these days in connection with the England one-day captaincy, but the man in question, Adam Hollioake, is reluctant to say anything about it.

That is not through false modesty, nor because he is content to let his record at international and county level speak for itself (although, of course, it does). Rather it is because he feels his motives and philosophies on leadership are left wide open to misinterpretation and, if Hollioake dislikes one thing, it is being misunderstood or misinterpreted.

"It is flattering to be talked about as being a candidate for the England one-day captaincy and to have people saying nice things about me but, no matter how you respond to something, other people interpret it in their own way," he says. That irks him, so he confines himself to stating that he would welcome the job if it came along.

If it did come along, there is little doubt that he would make a decent fist of it. He was the first man, after Mike Gatting 10 years before him, to lead an England side to victory in a one-day international tournament when, with what many regarded as a ragtag and bobtail crew, Hollioake lifted the Champions' Trophy in Sharjah in 1997.

"I had a good time as England captain," said Hollioake, who has led his adopted country in 14 of his 35 one-day international appearances.

"In Sharjah we had no strike bowler. In fact, every time I captained England it seemed there was never a full team, but it was good fun, and the win in Sharjah was the highlight."

Hollioake's international career, to which can be added four Test caps, trickled to a halt last winter, when he was called up for the triangular series in Australia but did not play a single game. However, as father of daughter Benaya, organiser of a memorial fund for his brother, Ben, who was killed in a car crash last year, and captain of Surrey, he already has plenty on his plate.

But if the England coach, Duncan Fletcher, should decide to appoint Hollioake, the Australian-born all-rounder has no fears about the job, or what he would bring to it. There are few in the game, be they players, administrators or fans, who would disagree with the view that Hollioake, 31, is the outstanding county captain of his generation.

His record in charge of Surrey, even as a stand-in for Alec Stewart as far back as 1995, was impressive, and not just because they won, but because of the way they won, snatching victory from the most unlikely of situations. He is intelligent and inspirational.

Yes, he admits to mistakes, freely confessing to getting things wrong in the early days following his full-time appointment in 1997.

"Early in my captaincy I probably forgot about my own game a little too much," Hollioake said. "What you always have to remember is that you still form part of the side; you may captain a side well, but you are not doing your job if the side is playing with 10 men, minus you. So you have to get your own game in order.

"You have to treat your playing role in the side with a deal of respect. If you are the No 6 batsman and second-change bowler, you have to be able to fill that role to the best of your ability, so there is a balance to be found when captaining between worrying too much about other people and not concentrating on your own game.

"But as you go on you become more comfortable with your own game and it does not need so much concentration. You probably don't need the fine tuning that is necessary when you are younger. I think captaincy in that respect comes more easily as you get older."

But, in addition to experience, Hollioake would bring to the England leadership something that is often sadly lacking in the game in this country – attitude. He positively bristles out in the middle, especially so since the death of Ben.

"What happened last year has given me an understanding of what makes me happy, how to live life," he reflected. "I have been through one of the most painful things that I could go through. Things which used to annoy me, like getting stuck in traffic jams, which was the worst thing that used to happen to me, or a bad lbw decision, all of a sudden seem pathetic."

So now he is back to his natural, aggressive best with bat and ball, and, more importantly, with his leadership. "I make a conscious effort as captain to play aggressively, to try to be positive. I have a saying, which is: 'If in doubt, always take the attacking options'. When I am not sure which way to go, then I attack."

He is certainly not afraid to try for something, which explains why he has decided to attempt a triathlon in the autumn, which will take him from John O'Groats to Dover, on to Calais by rowing boat, bike to Gibraltar and rowing boat once more to Tangier in Morocco – and up a few personal mountains of his own in between. Proceeds, naturally, will go towards his brother's memorial fund.

"It is a challenge. It is going to be tough," he admitted. "It is a hell of an undertaking, but it is something I want to do. But for the rest of my life I will have something to look back on and say I did that."

If there is any justice, Hollioake be able to say that about his second incarnation in the England captaincy.