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[charliemott]

I've been lucky enough to play for every team sat and sun apart from the sat 1's this year. Mainly featuring in 3's&4's, i have batted well the past few weeks and have manage to hold on to a place in the 3's next year, however i have been offered captaincy of the 4's with admin help (getting 11 etc). I want to play the best standard i can but is this the only chance i could get to prove myself as a captain. I have very little mens captain experience as im only a 17yr old wicket keeping bat, what do you guys think?

[Alvaro]

Play 3s. There's time for losing your hair in the future.

[Ayrtek Cricket]

At your age u should be striving to improve ur own game and enjoying yourself. Captaincy can come at a later date.

Focus on playing the highest standard possible first and foremost as your only young once.

[Bruce]

I would say don't do it!
I found it very difficult at a young age to skipper.

[Liam-SCCC]

Just finished my second season as captain, not something you need to do at a young age! I won't be doing it again in the near future!

[charliemott]

I thought this may be the response i would get as i agree! Anyone fancy playing devils advocate just out of intrest would like to hear the other side.

[ProWannabe88]

Play to the best level you can and enjoy it fella.

Being a skipper can be arranged later on in life. I'm 25 this year and never even contemplated skipping a side. Will save that for when I've figured my own game out, if that day ever comes play hard, have fun and leave the stress and politics to old balding geezers

[Buzz]

it is an honour to be asked to captain a team at your age, but really it isn't your job, you should try to get into the second/third team not waste away in the George Doors.

Ask the club why there isn't a more senior player able to do the job. while you are at it, ask them why they don't see you as a third team player...

[WalkingWicket37]

As great as it seems now don't do it mate, halfway through the season I was drinking more than was healthy 

[ajmw89]

Charlie, you've got my number if you wanna chat about it mate.  Sandy told me as much over the weekend.

[uknsaunders]

As everybody else has said, you are 17 and probably have the best part of a decade before you've reached your peak. That also includes learning about conditions, tactics, reading wickets, reading batsman etc. All these things will help you to skipper in later years.

Being a skipper is 80% admin and 20% on the pitch. It's also easier the higher up the food chain you are ie. 1st skipper as opposed to 4th's skipper. At 17 you don't want to be chasing players on a friday evening when you should be enjoying yourself? Says more about the state of the club if you ask me.

[mini998]

I assume 4th team skipper has the most problems compared to 1st , 2nd and 3rd team captains. For example in our club  1st , 2nd and 3rd teams automatically get all the available players and 4th team skipper has to go through all the hassle of ringing up players every week to see if he can raise a 11 for the week. Couple weeks ago we had to play with 9 because 3rd team took couple of players on Saturday morning.

[MD2812]

Is there an option to Vice-Captain a team? Develop you as a captain whilst still letting you play at highest ability?

Or is this also not a good option at a young age?

[arsenal123]

Playing devils advocate.

I was a good twos keeper who batted 10 (averaged about 10).  I was offered to skipper the threes and took it at 20.  I batted myself at 3 every week without fail.  It teaches you a great deal of responsibility and you focus on making big runs as it's 'your' side.  I averaged about 50ish and skippered the twos the following year.

This year hasn't been a great year for the second team but I've averaged about 30ish with the bat and became a main player for the side.

It seems you're not being looked at as a main player in your side if you're jumping between 2s and 3s, perhaps skippering will make you into a senior player.  It helped me a lot to be looked at in a different light.

[Mortimer]

You're to young to captain; you can't buy the beers