Graham Thorpe believes that Alec Stewart will captain England in the Second Test against Pakistan at Old Trafford after standing in as deputy at Lord's for the injured Nasser Hussain.

Stewart took on the role after Hussain fractured his thumb while batting. The skipper is likely to be out of action for four-five weeks, meaning he will definitely miss the Second Test and possibly the NatWest one-day series involving Pakistan and Australia.

The selectors are waiting before making a decision on who will captain England at Old Trafford but on Channel 4's website, cricket4.com., Thorpe says: "It's a blow what has happened to Nass, but to have someone like Stewie fitting in so easily is good for the team and I would imagine that having been given the stripes here he will do the job at Old Trafford."

Thorpe reveals that the decision over who should take over from Hussain in an emergency was made before the Test even started and that he was more than happy with the choice of Stewart, even though Thorpe would have been in the running for the role himself.

"It was something we brought up before the game," he said. "Past experience has taught us that these things can happen.

"It was something I brought up within our management structure because I thought it would be good if the person who has to stand in knows about it before the game.

"Duncan Fletcher came back the other morning and said that Stewie would take over if anything happened to Nass and that was fine with me.

"He's done it before and knows what to do and to be honest both of us are short-term options anyway and as long as the team are comfortable with it is all that I'm bothered about."

Thorpe stressed: "I wasn't upset not to be asked and the important thing to me is that we all know where we stand before something like this happens.

"It makes a difference to how you watch and read the game when you are vice-captain. As number two you are looking at the game from a tactical point of view whereas when you are a player you are just looking at it as a man in the field."

He added: "It's a knock to lose Nasser at this stage. His batting is looking good and tactically he is a good captain, but we have to get on with it because these things can happen.

"This tests how good we are. It will test us to the full losing players like Craig White and Hussain from a side that has been together continuously for over a year or so. It's going to have a little bit of an effect on us - it's a setback but one that good sides come back from.

"Nass has had this happen to him before and this is the last thing he would have wanted. To come back after four weeks out of the game will be difficult and it's a shame for him and the team."

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