Alastair Cook will not quit as England ODI skipper

  • Published
Alastair CookImage source, Reuters
Image caption,

Cook's England were beaten with 117 balls to spare at Edgbaston

Alastair Cook says he will not stand down as England one-day captain despite their series defeat by India.

Tuesday's nine-wicket loss was the latest of three heavy defeats only five months before the World Cup, while ex-players such as Graeme Swann feel Cook should give up the one-day game.

"At this precise moment, I'm still hungry to do it," 29-year-old Cook told BBC Test Match Special.

"If the management say they don't want me, that's a decision they make."

BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew

"The gulf between the sides is an absolute chasm at the moment and England need to have a root-and-branch review of their plans for the World Cup. Alastair Cook's position as captain should be high on the agenda. The selectors must accept that there is a very strong argument for standing him down from the one-day team."

Former captain Michael Vaughan believes England need to hand the responsibility to someone who sees one-day cricket "through one-day eyes".

"We go purely on Tests and purely on stats. It is not being driven by a one-day expert and it has not been for such a long time," he said.

"It needs a one-day expert and Eoin Morgan is a one-day cricketer. He sees the game and he knows what is required."

Cook's position as Test captain came under scrutiny when India took a 1-0 lead in the Test series earlier in the summer, only for England to complete a 3-1 victory.

"The frustrating thing is that, every side I seem to play in for England, there's a question about my place," added opening batsman Cook. "That's a hard place to work from.

"I went from 1-0 down to 3-1. It changes very quickly in sport. My credibility is not for me to comment on."

Cook took charge of the one-day international side in 2011, leading England to the top of the ODI world rankings in 2012.

Alastair Cook's ODI batting record

Year

Games

Runs

Average

2006

2

80

40.00

2007

14

403

28.78

2008

7

219

31.28

2009

None

-

-

2010

3

156

52.00

2011

15

600

46.15

2012

15

663

47.35

2013

16

560

35.00

2014

13

358

29.83

As skipper

62

2,337

40.29

Not as skipper

23

702

30.52

Total

85

3,039

37.51

However, England have won only one series against another Test-playing nation since 2012 and have lost their last four at home, though they did reach the final of the Champions Trophy on home soil in 2013.

"If the England management, captain and selectors cannot see there is a burning issue that needs to be changed, then I am worried, angry and sad," Swann said.

"If they start spouting rubbish about 'not executing our plans' then we really should be worried because sanity is not prevailing."

Overall, Cook averages 40.29 as ODI skipper, though that figure was as high as 47.35 in 2012, and has since dropped to 29.83 for 2014.

"I know I have to score more runs," said Cook. "I've done that in the past and I will in the future.

"I've had three-and-a-half years of one-day captaincy experience. We've done some really good stuff in that time, but we're having a heavy blip at the moment."

The latest heavy defeat by India came after the hosts were bowled out for only 206 at Edgbaston, with the tourists chasing down their target with 117 balls to spare.

England's losing one-day run

England have lost nine of their last 12 completed ODIs under Cook's captaincy against Test-playing nations

England have lost their last four ODI series at home

England under Cook: played 62, won 33, lost 26, tied 1, no result 2

The final game at Headingley on Friday is England's last home ODI before the World Cup in Australia in New Zealand, which begins in February.

"We haven't played very well, nowhere near our potential," said Cook. "That's the most frustrating thing. The players have to look at themselves and turn it around.

"The guys are hungry to succeed, we're just not delivering at the moment. If anyone thinks their place is safe, then they are wrong."

Listen to the Test Match Special podcast on the future of England's one-day international side.

Around the BBC

Related internet links

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.