Marcus Trescothick: I'll be immensely proud to take over as Somerset captain

Being appointed Somerset captain will be a huge honour to rank along side any that have come my way as a professional cricketer.

Having been associated with the club since boyhood – my dad played second XI cricket for the county – and being Keynsham-born, it makes me immensely proud that I've been lined up to succeed Justin Langer.

In some ways it is a natural progression as I have come through the youth ranks at Taunton to establish myself in the first-class game, then play for England before returning to Somerset as a senior professional.

But the most important thing from my perspective is that the timing is right. I will feel very comfortable about accepting the position and I am ready for the challenge that goes with it.

I've played a lot as a lieutenant and now it's time to be the main man. I've been a Somerset player for 17 years and being captain will mean taking another place in the history of the club I love so much.

One thing is certain – I will have a very difficult act to follow. Somerset now have something we need to keep hold of in terms of our level of professionalism and standard of cricket, which are due in no small measure to Justin Langer's influence.

I will have to ensure those qualities are maintained, while looking to help improve the strength of our squad and make sure we do everything possible to ensure our pitches at Taunton give us a fair chance of achieving the results we need to become county champions.

With my new role in mind, I have already been involved in discussions about the future, including which road we want to go down with our next overseas player.

Murali Kartik's name has been linked with us in the media this week and we certainly want a world-class spinner of his ilk.

If we are successful in such a signing, we have to make sure our wickets suit him.

I'm not suggesting we turn the tracks at Taunton into dust bowls, but some action has to be taken if we are to build on the progress of the last three years.

JL proved himself to be exactly want we expected when he first became captain in 2007, a strong character and a strong leader.

By then he had already made the highest individual first-class score by a Somerset batsman – 342 against Surrey at Guildford – during a short spell as temporary overseas player the previous season.

I was still playing for England then, but my international career ended in the winter of 2006-07 so I was back at Somerset for the start of Justin's first season as skipper.

He didn't come in and produce a massive shock to the system. But almost without us noticing he brought discipline to the club and changed the culture of how Somerset play their cricket – how we practiced, how we prepared for games and everything that goes with a winning mentality.

Before his arrival, things were a bit country club-like at Taunton. It was a very comfortable atmosphere and the players tended to stroll along at a nice easy pace.

As far as our cricket was concerned, it was a bonus if we won. Gradually Justin, with the help of coach Andy Hurry and director of cricket Brian Rose, changed all that and developed a really professional environment.

Players have been given ownership of what they have to do and we know we have to perform, or lose our place in the side. Good captains lead by example and don't ask others to do things they wouldn't do themselves. Justin trained harder than probably anyone I had played with before and others picked up on it.

We had a good side, which helped. I was available for all the matches in 2007, we had Cameron White as a second overseas player and Andy Caddick to lead our bowling attack, so we were always going to be competitive in Division Two of both the County Championship and Pro40 League.

Justin's leadership meant everything came together at the right time.

We won the Championship second division by a street and gained promotion as runners-up in the Pro40. The following season we were dismissed by many as arrogant when we insisted we could challenge for the Championship title. But Justin had helped instil that sort of confidence and we did go close to winning it.

We practiced more like an international side, with more purpose. You have to get the level of intensity right because in county cricket there is not the time to prepare or the rest in between games that you get as an international player.

Justin constantly drove us on and, even when matches were going nowhere, he was constantly reminding us to maintain standards. He has one of the highest levels of concentration in cricket and that is something our young batsmen will have learned from.

Even when we are relaxing during meals and away from the ground, you never escape the fact that he is totally dedicated to the game. When necessary he can be tough on individuals and the team, but he will also let us know when we have had a good day.

I have learned from him and hopefully that will have a positive effect on my own captaincy.