England's cricketers will go into the final Test of the summer today knowing that the quality or otherwise of their performance will have a material effect on whether Mike Atherton decides to continue as captain. It is the way of things in English cricket - erroneously, admittedly - that the leader is appointed for a finite period, be it a match, or series, and Atherton's term of office, the whole summer, runs out as soon as he leaves the Oval at the end of the match. Shortly afterwards, he is expected to make a decision on his future.
Atherton is not the sort of fellow to take undue notice of those whose opinions he does not respect or with whom he has little affinity, so the chances of him being affected, for example, by the more extreme rantings of some newspapers are nil.
"It goes with the territory," he says in that phlegmatic way of his. No one in his close circle has put pressure on him one way or the other, and in any case that, to someone whose hide would make that of a rhino seem like rice paper, would be a worthless exercise.
But he knows that the chairman of selectors, David Graveney, while not wishing to deflect him from the job in hand, has made it clear that he would like him to take the side to the Caribbean.
He also knows that the coach David Lloyd thinks the work has only just begun for England's longest-serving leader, and that 14 of 18 county captains canvassed for their opinion believed him to be the man to carry on. He has, for what it is worth, the support of this correspondent too.
The groundswell of support is gathering momentum, but yet Atherton baulks still at the uncertainty of it. Some may view it otherwise, but it is to his credit that he has never made capital out of the job: few perks, fewer endorsements.
"I've never been in it for the kudos," he says. It is an attitude that makes an objective evaluation of the role much simpler, however. The criteria for his continuation as captain are several.
"Firstly I need to know whether the selectors want me to carry on in the job in the first place," he feels. "If they don't then that is it. Then, even if I get their backing, I need to make up my own mind whether I feel I am the best man for the job, whether I still have the drive, energy and enthusiasm to make the best fist of the job, or can someone else do it better.
"Finally, any captain can get to the stage where he does not feel he has the support of the dressing room, which is the clearest indication that he should step aside. I don't feel that at the moment, but the primary consideration must remain what is best for the team and then what is best for me."
Well, there would be little point in asking the team members whether they would like him to continue. He has been through enough fire on their behalf for the respect to be total. But all too often, the admiration has not translated itself into performance.
Time and again, culminating in a dreadful last day at Trent Bridge, they have let down not just themselves but Atherton as well and now they are facing the consequences of their actions because as Atherton points out, the captain's job, in simplistic terms, is to make the team play to its potential.
If they are playing well, even if the captain is not, then it takes some of the heat away. If not, then the highest-profile and most-exposed leadership role in British sport, becomes a crucible.
Now the team have one final chance of atonement on a ground where for whatever reason - opposition taking the foot off the pedal at the end, particularly, of a dead series, new players introduced with a series gone, and the added stimulus of playing for touring places are the most frequently mentioned - they have their best record of winning.
To all outward appearances the pitch seems an excellent surface, and in the unlikely event of Atherton winning the toss, he will jump at the chance to bat first.
England, of course, already made their decision on Tuesday to remove Robert Croft's offbreaks from the spinning equation (although much to Atherton's amusement, this came as a surprise to one eminent media correspondent) and are certain to omit Ben Hollioake as well.
The only doubt concerns the fitness of Dean Headley whose bruised right heel has not responded to treatment as much as was hoped. He was given a strenuous work-out yesterday morning and the selectors will wait until today to see if there is a reaction. But the vibes were not good. Instead it seems as if Peter Martin, looking lean and chipper yesterday and by his estimation, bowling better than ever, will play for the first time since the second Test against India last summer.
