England's attempt to follow Australia's lead in having separate skippers for the long and short forms of the game has been a disaster, so returning to one man for two jobs is no great surprise.

Having one leader is clearly preferable from a player's point of view and should ensure there is, at the very least, a consistency of approach in the changing room and decision making on the pitch.

However, it appears that Pietersen, currently England's leading batsman, has landed the prize roles on the basis that he is the only man guaranteed selection for both teams and I find that reasoning staggering.

While it would be unfair to burden the likes of international newcomers Alistair Cook or Stuart Broad, who is showing all the signs of developing into a very decent all-rounder, with the task, it seems the likes of Andrew Flintoff, Andrew Strauss and Ian Bell were rather hastily overlooked.

Flintoff did, of course, have the misfortune to step into Vaughan's shoes for the Ashes re-match (or should that be mis-match?) in 2006 and may have been scarred, or possibly tarred, forever by England's embarrassing 5-0 capitulation Down Under.

Strauss was (maybe still is who knows?) the Test vice-captain and even has a series win over Pakistan to his name, but could not be accommodated in the one-day side and so was overlooked.

Bell, like Pietersen, is virtually untried as a skipper and yet with a Test average of 43 and a one-day average of 35 is certainly good enough to warrant selection in both forms of the game.

So why pick Pietersen ahead of him?

The assumption must be that the England hierarchy – coach Peter Moores and national selector Geoff Miller at any rate – wanted a change of direction.

Pietersen is a bold, brash, extrovert, seemingly relishing every moment in the spotlight and as such could not be further away from his predecessor Vaughan.

But if the man from Pietermaritzburg in Natal is able to inspire and cajole others to be as consistently attack-minded in their mindset then he may just be able to lead England into a new success-laden era.

My fear is that the 28-year-old will suffer the same fate as Flintoff, and the legendary Sir Ian Botham before him, and find his own form compromised by the weight of expectation and the burden of decision making.

Flintoff appeared to freeze in the glare and found himself unable to lead by example and carry the team with him. That is not meant as a criticism of him, far from it.

Let's face it, the Australians on their own turf were always going to be a tough proposition but with a point to prove and England's non-stop partying after their 2005 Ashes triumph fresh in their memories Freddie's injury-hit tourists were on a hiding to nothing. And that's exactly what they got!

It will be interesting to see whether Pietersen's usually belligerent style at the crease changes when the fourth npower Test gets underway tomorrow at the Oval.

He currently averages 50 in the five-day game and 47 in the shorter format.

In the five years he was captain Vaughan's batting average, currently 41, dropped by 10, but he was still able to guide his men to a record-breaking 26 wins from 51 Tests and make regular and sizeable individual contributions in the process.

The trick for Pietersen will be to repeat Vaughan's juggling act. If he does the question marks about him will quickly dissipate.

Coach Moores, though, is now well and truly in the firing line and with seven Tests remaining until England entertain Australia next summer, time and opinion is against him.

The bizarre call up of Nottinghamshire's Grimsby-born Australian-raised bowler Darren Pattinson ahead of the Headingley Test has never been satisfactorily explained away, but Vaughan's post-match comments hinting that the decision fatally compromised team spirit suggests it had more to do with Moores than him.

The jury may be out on both Moores and Pietersen but, of the two, the batsman will be given longer to convince the doubters.

****

IT doesn't seem two minutes since Leeds United boss Gary McAllister was traipsing round a sodden Wembley trying to hoist his players from the turf after the League One play-off final defeat by Doncaster Rovers.

But in less than 72 hours the men from Elland Road will kick-off their second attempt to escape from League One at relegated Scunthorpe United.

This time there will be no punitive 15-point Football League penalty to overcome, but the expectation will, as a result, be far greater.

Forget Leicester City, Leeds United will be the prize scalp in the division and yet almost every Whites fan expects McAllister's side to go up automatically.

Last year Dennis Wise used the League penalty to galvanise his hastily-assembled squad. It was Leeds against the world.

This season need not be any different. United, as ever, are there to be shot at. McAllister's team handled the pressure in 2007-08. The job in front of them now is to repeat the feat.

I wish them every success.

Ends