LEADING ROLE FOR JENNINGS
Durham opener identified as future England captain
AT a time when uncertainty shrouds the immediate future of its Test captaincy, English cricket is investing in a surprising long-term candidate for the role.
While Joe Root is widely expected to succeed Alastair Cook, the appointment of Keaton Jennings as captain of the England Lions team to tour Sri Lanka next month is intriguing. Not least because of the increased focus of the ECB on leadership this winter.
Gemma Morgan, a former army captain, has been advising the next generation of England cricketers at the National Academy on a consultancy basis for two years. Before Christmas, Morgan, 43, spent a week with the Lions in Dubai. She will also join the party going to Colombo on February 6.
South African-born Jennings is new to the England system, having qualified four months ago, yet has been identified as the stand-out candidate on the Lions programme. Morgan is believed to have been impressed by his selfdiscipline, critical thinking ability and natural curiosity.
Of course, 24-year-old Jennings is currently in possession of a Test place, one he is expected to keep by virtue of his debut hundred in India. More immediately, though, a drop back into the ranks offers captaincy experience in two Tests and a one- day series against Sri Lanka A. He will also lead the North in the inaugural North v South one-day series in March.
More could follow in the domestic season with Durham formulating their own succession plan. Paul Collingwood, about to embark on his final professional season, is confirmed as County Championship captain only, with Jennings Leader of men: Keaton Jennings impressed his army mentor REUTERS earmarked to front their Royal full internationals Haseeb Hameed London Cup campaign, starting in and Ben Duckett. the final week of April. ‘It’s my first proper taste of it
‘Nothing has been confirmed on within any professional environthat,’ Jennings insisted. ‘There ment for any period of time,’ added will be conversations at some Jennings. ‘But, as Joe Root said stage. I just haven’t spent enough recently, it’s one of those things time in the north-east to discuss you get thrown into. You find out the vision for the club and the how to do it and what makes you direction it wants to take in the tick in the role as you go along. next year or two.’ Hopefully the guys respond to it.’
So for now it is the Lions and This winter, the Lions have directing players, including fellow spent time at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, where Morgan learned her techniques.
‘A lot of it has been based around the military thinking of how they work with each other within a team, how they train each other — to take responsibilities for their own actions and stay away from being a sheep,’ Jennings said.
Responsibility is nothing new to Jennings, a former head boy at King Edward’s, Johannesburg, one of South Africa’s leading schools both academically and on the sports field, where he captained its First XI cricket team.
‘I was put into some tough situations, not least public speaking, but I must admit it was a really enjoyable year,’ he recalled.
Responsibility also comes naturally. While England have been away over recent winters, Jennings — completing his fouryear residency in Chester-le-Street — took it upon himself to check whether close friend Ben Stokes’ partner Clare, hands full with two toddlers, needed errands running.
What he will copy is the warmth Cook showed to him when he became his latest Test opening partner last month. ‘To look at a guy who has achieved so much, but still gave me so much, is something to take note of,’ he said.
‘He was phenomenal. In those two and a half weeks he made a real impact on me and the way I viewed him as a person. I hadn’t met him before. You see people in the media and think how they’ll be, and he was 10 times better than that.’