PlanetCricket
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Has Cook’s Time Burnt Out As ODI Skipper?
There are plenty of questions surrounding England captain Alastair cook at the moment. Should he be leading the side out in one day internationals? Should he be even playing ODI cricket? Those being the two most predominant.
His year in the format has been less than impressive, averaging just 29 with the bat, making only 10 in the first one day game versus Sri Lanka and followed up with 22 and 34 in the second and third games in the series. But perhaps more damningly, it’s at the rate he’s achieving those.
His 22 in Colombo came in 37 balls and is perhaps more telling of Cook’s criticism – he’s a test match specialist.
Prior to the ‘blip’ in beating Sri Lanka last week, England had lost 15 of their last 22 ODIs against test-playing nations. If that was the manager of the England football team they would have seen the boot. If that was the manager of the England Rugby Union coach they would have been relieved of their duties. So what’s different?
Of course it’s a much bigger decision. Cook is captain of the Test side, a side which comfortably beat India over the summer with the Essex man picking up a few scores, whilst throughout his Test career he’s been an assured leader and consistent run scorer. Losing the ODI gig could affect is performances elsewhere.
Although some say it would better them. And it does make sense. Cook’s assets clearly lie in his powers of concentration which allow him to stand at the crease all day. His strength to sit in the slips and organise his side through three sessions. Shouldn’t England’s captain be that man but a master of the one day format?
That man would be Eoin Morgan, he leads the T20 side, but even the Middlesex man hasn’t hit a one day hundred for 15 games.
It’ll be a tough call for the ECB who have to perfect their squad ahead of the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. The odds suggest Cook will be far from a Cricket World Cup winner at sixth favourite, but should the likes of young Alex Hales or James Taylor become part of an opening partnership with their more attacking mentality at the top of the innings, those odds could change.
Selectors will certainly have the chance to find out. Hales is likely to come in for Cook in the fourth game of the series with the captain facing suspension for a slow over rate in their win in the third match, only adding pressure to his reign as leader.
For now he still has the backing of his teammates. Spinner James Tredwell has given his full support saying, “Everyone keeps going on about him, but we don’t really notice it in the dressing room. He’s pretty level-headed and calm about it. He is a class player and we are all behind in his leadership.”
It’s unlikely, despite the calls from Michael Vaughan, Kevin Pietersen, and Sir Ian Botham, that Cook will step down with just two and a half months until the World Cup, but his time is drawing to a close in the one day format. For England fans, it’s just hoped that’ll be on a high.
Continue reading the Original Blog Post.
Has Cook’s Time Burnt Out As ODI Skipper?
There are plenty of questions surrounding England captain Alastair cook at the moment. Should he be leading the side out in one day internationals? Should he be even playing ODI cricket? Those being the two most predominant.
His year in the format has been less than impressive, averaging just 29 with the bat, making only 10 in the first one day game versus Sri Lanka and followed up with 22 and 34 in the second and third games in the series. But perhaps more damningly, it’s at the rate he’s achieving those.
His 22 in Colombo came in 37 balls and is perhaps more telling of Cook’s criticism – he’s a test match specialist.
Prior to the ‘blip’ in beating Sri Lanka last week, England had lost 15 of their last 22 ODIs against test-playing nations. If that was the manager of the England football team they would have seen the boot. If that was the manager of the England Rugby Union coach they would have been relieved of their duties. So what’s different?
Of course it’s a much bigger decision. Cook is captain of the Test side, a side which comfortably beat India over the summer with the Essex man picking up a few scores, whilst throughout his Test career he’s been an assured leader and consistent run scorer. Losing the ODI gig could affect is performances elsewhere.
Although some say it would better them. And it does make sense. Cook’s assets clearly lie in his powers of concentration which allow him to stand at the crease all day. His strength to sit in the slips and organise his side through three sessions. Shouldn’t England’s captain be that man but a master of the one day format?
That man would be Eoin Morgan, he leads the T20 side, but even the Middlesex man hasn’t hit a one day hundred for 15 games.
It’ll be a tough call for the ECB who have to perfect their squad ahead of the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. The odds suggest Cook will be far from a Cricket World Cup winner at sixth favourite, but should the likes of young Alex Hales or James Taylor become part of an opening partnership with their more attacking mentality at the top of the innings, those odds could change.
Selectors will certainly have the chance to find out. Hales is likely to come in for Cook in the fourth game of the series with the captain facing suspension for a slow over rate in their win in the third match, only adding pressure to his reign as leader.
For now he still has the backing of his teammates. Spinner James Tredwell has given his full support saying, “Everyone keeps going on about him, but we don’t really notice it in the dressing room. He’s pretty level-headed and calm about it. He is a class player and we are all behind in his leadership.”
It’s unlikely, despite the calls from Michael Vaughan, Kevin Pietersen, and Sir Ian Botham, that Cook will step down with just two and a half months until the World Cup, but his time is drawing to a close in the one day format. For England fans, it’s just hoped that’ll be on a high.
Continue reading the Original Blog Post.
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