Tuesday 2 April 2019 15:58, UK
England's Mark Wood admits he was shocked by Durham's decision to name Cameron Bancroft as their new captain but is now certain that "gutsy call" is the right one for his county.
Australian batsman Bancroft was at the eye of an international storm after he was caught altering the condition of the ball with sandpaper during last year's Test series in South Africa, earning a nine-month ban from the sport after his initially misleading account of events in Cape Town.
His punishment was more lenient than Steve Smith and David Warner, the captain and vice-captain at the heart of the incident, largely due to his status as a junior member of the side.
It is, then, quite a turn around for him to take over from the retired Paul Collingwood as Durham's new on-field leader, with former England bowler Darren Gough leading the criticism.
He labelled the decision "a disgrace" during a lengthy tirade and while Wood confesses to being taken aback by the move, he has come to realise the rationale.
"I was surprised to be perfectly honest, I thought it was a gutsy call," he said at Durham's pre-season media day.
"When I first thought about it I thought 'I wouldn't have done that'. But the more I thought about it the more I thought it's the right option.
"Bancroft will be coming here with a point to prove and anything that's said to him has been said before or he's had worse.
"He's had a horrible time and that will have made him stronger. He's international class in the way he goes about things, so he'll be a total professional and drag people with him."
Director of cricket Marcus North, a product of Western Australia like Bancroft but one with long-term roots in the North East, is at ease with the controversial appointment.
He has kept tabs on a player he briefly crossed paths with in Perth and insists the trials of the past year have made the 26-year-old a stronger man and a better role model.
"I completely understand it will split opinion. I know Cameron very well and there's a lot of people I trust in Australian cricket and Western Australian cricket who I've spoken to over a period of time about Cameron," he said.
"This is a guy who is a different person to what he was 13 months ago. He's had a lot of time to reflect, done a lot of work away from the game, matured a lot. His perspective on the game, on life, on cricket has changed a lot.
"I get there's been questions, bringing someone in to captain a side when 13 months ago they weren't really showing great leadership skills in the decisions he made. I get that, but he's a different person, he's learned a lot.
"You could argue in the position Cameron is in now, after going through that experience, there's probably not too many people better to advise younger professionals on the ramifications of making poor decisions."
