Captaincy. Mike Brearley, widely regarded as the best exponent of the art, wrote a book on it. Thousands of us have had a go at it at one level or another while everyone else assumes they can do it better. Some consider it an honour, some a chore, others a poisoned chalice.

This former captain, whose written work you’ve now stumbled across got hate mail on the car and by text message after a controversial declaration against Nottinghamshire two seasons ago but the position of captain Kent was something I was hugely proud of.

County cricket throws up some unique challenges for captains: a huge workload; four trophies in contrasting formats, two of which involve promotion and relegation; a playing staff of anywhere between 16 and 28 from which to pick a starting eleven. There is the pressure of knowing that you carry the hopes of a fiercely loyal membership and that you can affect the careers of those players you don’t select.

Two county captains, who have seen both the positives and negatives of captaining a county team are Justin Langer of Somerset and my successor at Kent Rob Key, who won his first trophy – The Twenty20 Cup – in just his second season at the helm but whose team are teetering above the relegation zone in the Championship.

Key has come under fire this week from Steve Rhodes for not entertaining the thought of arranging a game against Worcestershire after the first three days were washed out. A ridiculous ECB regulation – something else county captains have to contend with – meant that so much time had been lost that bonus points were no longer available (work that one out) and Rhodes, whose side are cemented to the bottom of the table, was desperate to play for the 14 points for a win rather than take the four for a draw. Key, knowing Kent’s precarious position was more cautious in his approach

“If we were in mid table with no chance of going down then you can throw caution to the wind,” he said. “In our position you have to hedge your bets. You’re looking around at what is happening in the Surrey game and what Warwickshire are doing. If Surrey are getting a win and Warwickshire are going ok then we need to force a result from somewhere and tactics change again.”

Langer’s first game in charge of Somerset was against Middlesex at Taunton. It didn’t start quite as planned.

“Standing helpless in the field watching Middlesex rack up 600 I thought I must be perceived as the worst captain in the world. Fortunately I was able to get some when I batted and had the pleasure of watching Ed Smith scratching his head as we got 800.”

Somerset are leading the second division of the championship by some distance and are also contesting promotion in the pro40, which brings with it its own challenges.

“I’m a believer that you do the basics right consistently and you’re more likely to be successful,” Langer said. “Where we have been imaginative is in terms of selection. Andy Caddick took five-for a few days ago but we left him out in our pro40 game as we thought four hours each way on a coach wouldn’t be great for his body. It’s part of the challenge with county cricket.”

Langer has had the benefit of playing in one of the most successful sides in the history of the game under some of the best captains, from whom to draw inspiration.

“If you look at Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting, the two best captains I played under they were each ranked the best batsman in the world during their tenure as captain. They led by example in the way they carried themselves and the way they played. It’s important to contribute heavily with the bat.”