93 days to go and the lunatics have taken charge of the asylum. Not for the first time but we are living in 2009 not 1946.

Back at the end of the second World War Surrey appointed Major Nigel Bennett to the captaincy when all he really wanted to do was to pay his subs. He was mistaken for Major Leo Bennett; the result was a season that owed more to comedy than cricket as he angered one player after another with his odd decisions.

Have the England selectors learnt nothing since that moment of pure farce? No.

They have today named a Twenty-20 squad of 30 cricketerz with one thing in common. They do not want to captain their country, probably because of the way Michael Vaughan was worn out and Kevin Pietersen was chucked out because - well, your guess is as good as mine.

Unless Strauss declined the honour - which I doubt after watching his enthusiasm for leading every other England side - it is the silliest decision in a year of crass thinking.

The three big bears - Flintoff, Pietersen and Collingwood - have all said they don't want the job; Cook is so wet behind the ears there is no towel big enough to dry them; and Mascarenhas has not played often enough. Rob Key? Not if Sambit Patel can be dropped because he is out of shape.

No, the obvious solution is to play Strauss as an opener who bats through and allows the glorious stroke makers to blaze away. You know it makes sense. But not the selectors.

Lets hope the new coach - aka the director of cricket - has more idea because the appointment of a captain will be left until he - aka Andy Flowers - is in place. Its about three weeks until he takes over the asylum.