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Alastair Cook resigns as England Test captain

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Junaids

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The title says it all.

At 32 it's time to concentrate on a couple more years as a batsman.

32 is far too old to captain an international team. Sport is a game for young players. You can have one or two veterans to guide them, but not to lead them.
 
Alistair Cook resigns

http://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/38376729

Alastair Cook has resigned as England Test captain.

Cook, 32, led his country in a record 59 Tests and skippered them to Ashes victories in 2013 and 2015.

However, during the 4-0 Test series defeat in India he admitted to having "questions" over his role, and has ended a reign that began in 2012.

"Stepping down has been an incredibly hard decision but I know this is the correct decision for me and at the right time for the team," said Cook.

"Playing for England really is a privilege and I hope to carry on as a Test player, making a full contribution and helping the next England captain and the team however I can."

About time he made the decision, now hopefully he can continue and get back into some sort of form.
 
ENGLAND TEST CAPTAIN ALASTAIR COOK STEPS DOWN

Alastair Cook has stepped down from his role after 59 Tests as England Test captain.

Appointed in August 2012, Cook has led the team through more Test matches than any other England captain. His record includes Ashes victories at home in 2013 and 2015 as well as series wins in India and South Africa. He also led the one-day side for 69 one-day internationals between 2010 and 2014, another England record.

Cook discussed his decision with the Chairman of the England & Wales Cricket Board, Colin Graves, on Sunday evening and has confirmed his continuing commitment to playing Test cricket to Director of England Cricket, Andrew Strauss, and the selectors.

His resignation has been accepted, the Board have been informed and the proper process has started to appoint the next Test captain - the 80th in England’s Test match history.

The 32-year old opening batsman is England’s most capped Test captain, has scored more Test centuries than any previous captain and is England’s most prolific Test batsman with 11,057 runs in 140 Tests to date.

During his five seasons at the helm he was named Wisden Cricketer of the Year [2012] and ICC World Test Captain [2013] and his services to the game were recognised with a CBE – collected at Buckingham Palace last Friday, 3 February – to follow the MBE he was awarded in 2011.


Confirming his decision, Alastair Cook said:

“It’s been a huge honour to be England captain and to lead the Test team over the past five years.

“Stepping down has been an incredibly hard decision but I know this is the correct decision for me and at the right time for the team.

“I’ve had time to reflect after the India series and this weekend I spoke to Colin Graves, the Chairman, to explain and offer my resignation.

“It’s a sad day personally in many ways but I want to thank everyone I’ve captained, all the coaches and support staff and, of course, the England supporters and the Barmy Army who follow us home and away and have given us unwavering support.

“Playing for England really is a privilege and I hope to carry on as a Test player, making a full contribution and helping the next England captain and the team however I can.”

Director of England Cricket, Andrew Strauss, today paid tribute to Alastair Cook and explained the next steps in appointing a successor, saying:

“I want to thank Alastair, on behalf of the ECB and from a personal perspective, for the fantastic contribution that he’s made to the England Test team since taking over as Captain in 2012.

"His country owes him a great debt of gratitude; he's led the team with determination, conviction and a huge amount of pride over the last five years and his record stands for itself. With more matches leading the team than anyone, including two Ashes wins, he deserves to be seen as one of our country's great captains.

“Off the field as well as on, he has shown his strengths, developing the team and its culture, managing a fundamental transition and helping us to build for the future. As with all leaders, there have been times where circumstances have tested him but his resilience and temperament have helped him to prevail and to prosper.

“He has always served with the best interests of the team in the front of his mind and stays true to that as he steps down from the role. Alastair will be missed in his capacity as Captain but I hope that he has a number of years left to add to his record-breaking feats as an opening batsman and look forward to his continued success.

“We now move on with the process of appointing the right successor. There are a number of established players who are playing formal or informal leadership roles and whilst we've rightly not spoken to anyone in relation to the Test captaincy so far, we can now talk fully and openly within the team. We expect to be able to make an announcement before the team head to the West Indies on 22nd February.”


ECB Chairman Colin Graves said:

“Alastair called me this weekend to offer his resignation and to explain the reasons behind it. This was clearly a very hard decision and I thoroughly respect the way it’s been made, with the team at the core of his thinking.

“His leadership has brought some huge successes for the England team and even in difficult times he has always shown his character, stayed composed and seen things through.

“Over the last two years he has also paved the way for our future and his work will help the transition to the next Test captain and the further development of this team. As he continues to play for England, I know that he’ll be very supportive of his successor and the next generation of players.

“Of course, as a batsman he’s one of the all-time greats. We owe him our gratitude, thank him for his commitment to England and look forward to watching him score plenty more runs for England.”


Tom Harrison, Chief Executive Officer of the ECB, also paid tribute:

“Alastair has played a huge role as England Test captain and he is without any doubt a fantastic ambassador for the his country and for the game.

“His character, commitment and integrity stand out; he’s been an outstanding Captain for us, leading by example as he does at the top of the order. It’s no coincidence that he’s our most capped Test captain and our most prolific batsman ever.

“Through the ups and down that you experience with any long tenure he’s been courageous, consistent and resilient, handling everything with poise and dignity. I feel very fortunate to have work with him as Test captain, with Alastair giving us stability in the dressing room on and off the pitch.

“We owe him our sincere gratitude and I look forward to his continued success as part of the England Test team.”
 
Damnit i was expecting this after South Africa defeated them,now he might not retire soon, hope they make Root the captain would be interesting to see how Root,Kohli,Smith,Kane al will captain their sides and maintain form.
 
not surprising given an awful 2016 he had. the writing was on the wall.

i still back him to break the record for the highest runs and the youngest in age to achieve this feat in the test arena.

i also expect him to have an outstanding 2017 with runs galore...
 
Junaids said:
The title says it all.

At 32 it's time to concentrate on a couple more years as a batsman.

32 is far too old to captain an international team. Sport is a game for young players. You can have one or two veterans to guide them, but not to lead them.
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My original title pointed out that Alastair Cook has resigned at the same age that Azhar Ali is.

The point being that Azhar Ali is far too old to be the next Test captain - he is the age at which a skipper should be stepping down to concentrate on just batting for the last 2 years of his career.

Kane Williamson is 26
Steve Smith is 27
Joe Root is 26

........and yet Pakistan is proposing to replace a 42 year old with a 32 year old.
 
That's how a real gentleman leaves space and allows young player to be groomed as a captain. He's still 32. Incredible. Could have easily captained another 4 years but that would not have been in the betterment of England team.
 
MRSN said:
That's how a real gentleman leaves space and allows young player to be groomed as a captain. He's still 32. Incredible. Could have easily captained another 4 years but that would not have been in the betterment of England team.
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Dont think so. ECB would have sacked him most probably. He just saved his face.
 
Both Misbah and Azhar should know how to be selfless like Michael Clark, Darren Sammy, Angelo Matthews, Ab develliers, Sanga,Jaya, Dilshan and Alistair cook
 
Wanted him to stay on for another year personally but fair enough if he wants to go now I guess.
 
Now whenever he hits a string of low scores he will face talk of retirement. :msd
 
Junaids said:
My original title pointed out that Alastair Cook has resigned at the same age that Azhar Ali is.

The point being that Azhar Ali is far too old to be the next Test captain - he is the age at which a skipper should be stepping down to concentrate on just batting for the last 2 years of his career.

Kane Williamson is 26
Steve Smith is 27
Joe Root is 26

........and yet Pakistan is proposing to replace a 42 year old with a 32 year old.
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Don't think Misbah retiring anytime soon. At least another couple of years
 
HitWicket said:
The ECB in Strauss, Graves and Bayliss have actually been trying to persuade him to stay on as captain.
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Really? When murmurs in sky team (which are unofficial cheerleaders of ECB) started about Root replacing Cook soon, it gave the impression that Cook's days were numbered.
 
LastManstanding said:
Really? When murmurs in sky team (which are unofficial cheerleaders of ECB) started about Root replacing Cook soon, it gave the impression that Cook's days were numbered.
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General thought was that they wanted (and myself as well) Cook to stay on until after the ashes next winter, as Australia and South Africa both being in your first 3 series as captain is a bit brutal perhaps. Putting the workload on Root just after he's had his first child is also a bit of a burden.
 
MRSN said:
That's how a real gentleman leaves space and allows young player to be groomed as a captain. He's still 32. Incredible. Could have easily captained another 4 years but that would not have been in the betterment of England team.
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Its ECB my friend, who are professional, not like PCB where seniors can dictate everything like street cricket
 
And we have gentleman Misbah who has seconds thoughts about stepping down as captain, even though he is not half the player Cook is and is 10 years older.
 
JaDed said:
Damnit i was expecting this after South Africa defeated them,now he might not retire soon, hope they make Root the captain would be interesting to see how Root,Kohli,Smith,Kane al will captain their sides and maintain form.
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He made the right call by retiring a few months before the English summer. Will allow Root to settle into the role smoothly.
 
Good decision.

Misbah should follow suit on the WI tour.
 
JaDed said:
Damnit i was expecting this after South Africa defeated them,now he might not retire soon, hope they make Root the captain would be interesting to see how Root,Kohli,Smith,Kane al will captain their sides and maintain form.
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Cook had 2 options:

Captain till the end of Ashes...

Or resign now and let Root settle down in his job before the all important Ashes.
 
HitWicket said:
The ECB in Strauss, Graves and Bayliss have actually been trying to persuade him to stay on as captain.
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It's actually much more complex than that.

The England cricket team is still run by the same establishment faces who used to run the Marylebone Cricket Club. Think John Stephenson - the MCC Head of Cricket.

Colin Graves was cut down to size by the establishment the moment he become the nominal Chairman of the ECB - and was immediately told that his olive branch to Kevin Pietersen had been flushed down the toilet.

Alastair Cook is a dreadfully mediocre captain - almost as strategically incompetent as Misbah-ul-Haq. But like Misbah, he is the member of the team who went to the poshest school - Bedford School, like Paddy Pantsdown.

And so Cook was the undisputed skipper, to keep the lower classes in line. Couldn't let somebody working class like Bairstow or Stokes get ideas above his station, you see.

It sounds absurd. Until you realise that Cook took over from Andrew Strauss, who was educated at Radley College, like Lord Ted Dexter, and Q from the James Bond movies.

It's all about class. And Joe Root won't really be trusted as a result.

The only chap from an appropriate background to captain England is Zafar Ansari (Hampton School - where my London relatives have been educated - and Cambridge University) but he can't be trusted because both his parents are academics and in dangerous fields - his Dad is a Professor of Race Relations, which could make it jolly difficult to sack the son.
 
An excellent decision from Cook. His run production had fallen, but now he has the chance to concentrate on batting and pile on those centuries again for the last quarter of his career.

He had a difficult time as skipper, taking over as the fine side Strauss had built disintegrated under ill-health, internal strife and Australian fast bowling. Yet he also won in India, which no England skipper since Gower had managed.

His runs at the top of the order will take pressure off new skipper Root too. I hope Root drops to #4 or #5 so he can have a chance to get his batting head on after skippering in the field.
 
Well good on him to know that his captaincy had gotten stale and England needed a move on.

How is Root as captain?
 
Yes, Cook is getting old, unlike Misbah who is getting younger.

The difference between English and Pakistan captain is keeping national interest ahead of personal one.
 
Also, the English selection committee and Board are paid to work and make decisions, not just to write, "continue the same team and captain, no change ".
 
A fragile captain
Couldn't win away series against Bangladesh and couldn't cope the loss against India and now chicken out from SA series as captain. Was already hinting about running away from resposbility in middle of Indian tour.
 
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Right decision.

Let's see what sort of captain Root turns out to be.
 
Asim2Good said:
A fragile captain
Couldn't win away series against Bangladesh and couldn't cope the loss against India and now chicken out from SA series as captain. Was already hinting about running away from resposbility in middle of Indian tour.
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Not everyone is as battle hardened as Misbah
 
Junaids said:
My original title pointed out that Alastair Cook has resigned at the same age that Azhar Ali is.

The point being that Azhar Ali is far too old to be the next Test captain - he is the age at which a skipper should be stepping down to concentrate on just batting for the last 2 years of his career.

Kane Williamson is 26
Steve Smith is 27
Joe Root is 26

........and yet Pakistan is proposing to replace a 42 year old with a 32 year old.
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as Pakistani standards asad shafiq ( 31 years official ) is youngster . so what you expect from PCB.
 
Difference between an English gentleman and Pakistani 'gentleman'
 
Finally Fab 4 are captaining their respective teams. This should something of a golden era.
 
I respect him for his decision. He is twice the test batsman than Misbah and 10 years younger and yet he resigns for the betterment of his team.

On the other side, PCB is too afraid to sack a 42 years old and very eager to appoint a 32 years old as a new captain if the former voluntarily resigns.
 
Root is considered as improved version of Michael Vaughan...Hopefully he will not follow Vaughan's path after getting captaincy's load..
Good luck mate..
 
Rayyman said:
Finally Fab 4 are captaining their respective teams. This should something of a golden era.
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All 4 are nothing special captaincy wise. Tbh there are very little clever captains with tactical nous in test cricket atm.

Maybe Faf but that's about it.
 
I think Root's captaincy will end like Tendulkar's. Not every great batsman can be a good captain. England should give the captaincy to Bairstow or Stokes.
 
The_Odd_One said:
I think Root's captaincy will end like Tendulkar's. Not every great batsman can be a good captain. England should give the captaincy to Bairstow or Stokes.
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Would've been a close thing between Taylor and Root I suspect had he not had his condition.
 
can't see any difference in MSD's or Cook's stepping down. both of them saved their career for couple of years by leaving captaincy. And yet people says MSD is a selfishman (coz he isn't retiring) and Cook is a Gentleman! hypocrisy!
 
The_Odd_One said:
I think Root's captaincy will end like Tendulkar's. Not every great batsman can be a good captain. England should give the captaincy to Bairstow or Stokes.
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Root always reminds me of Tendulkar in many ways just like Kohli reminds me of Ponting.

Root isn't someone as attacking as Kohli (I know Kohli has a lesser strike rate than Root in test cricket but he can have some phases where he can put the attack to the sword) just like Tendulkar wasn't as attacking as Punter. But Root is more consistent and a very dependable batsman and very versatile in most conditions too. Maybe it's the Tendulkar's trademark backfoot punch cover drive that Root often plays which makes me think so (which Kohli hardly plays) or the way Root gets his runs.




Also I think he will be a disaster as a captain similar to Sachin.:srt
 
street cricketer said:
Root always reminds me of Tendulkar in many ways just like Kohli reminds me of Ponting.

Root isn't someone as attacking as Kohli (I know Kohli has a lesser strike rate than Root in test cricket but he can have some phases where he can put the attack to the sword) just like Tendulkar wasn't as attacking as Punter. But Root is more consistent and a very dependable batsman and very versatile in most conditions too. Maybe it's the Tendulkar's trademark backfoot punch cover drive that Root often plays which makes me think so (which Kohli hardly plays) or the way Root gets his runs.




Also I think he will be a disaster as a captain similar to Sachin.:srt
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Only difference is that he is more likely to make 100 fifties than 100 hundreds. :uakmal
 
Cook's not going to go down as one of the game's all-time great captains. He was often reactive and didn't know how to captain spinners, nor had the personality to handle big egos like Kevin Pietersen. He will also have the 2013-14 Ashes whitewash on his record.

However despite the recent mauling in India, he can still cherish the 2012 tour victory, two Ashes victories in 2013 and 2015 and the Test series win in South Africa. He has the fourth best W/L ratio for an England captain.

As a batsman he's an eyesore. Elegance has never been Cook's strong suit. He doesn't have the dashing strokeplay of a Kevin Pietersen or the crowd-pulling charisma of a Ben Stokes. Against raw pace he's had his difficulties. But he is England's record run scorer thanks to sheer bloody mindedness, hard work, a determination to prove his critics wrong and stubbornness in England's best traditions. There hasn't been many English batsmen better against spin in Asia than Cook despite his torrid time recently against Ravi Jadeja.

Cook as a person has always been a class act and every player has mentioned how much they respect him. This was the right time to bow out, allow a younger captain to bed in and get a home summer under their belt before the tour of Australia this winter.

I hope he has a long playing career left.
 
Ultimately the right decision, allows the new skipper time to bed in before the ashes series.
 
Abdullah719 said:
Only difference is that he is more likely to make 100 fifties than 100 hundreds. :uakmal
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Root has a 200 not out at Lord's the home of cricket. Sachin's highest score on the ground was 37. :srt


Sachin has 7 200s in his 329 test innings, Root already has 2 200s in his 98 innings. :afridi
 
Syed1 said:
Root has a 200 not out at Lord's the home of cricket. Sachin's highest score on the ground was 37. :srt


Sachin has 7 200s in his 329 test innings, Root already has 2 200s in his 98 innings. :afridi
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I wasn't ready for that, you win. Root is better. And a better captain too. :root
 
It's good for him - now he can focus on his batting & target SRT's Test volume. I wonder when I recall that he is just 32 now - should be playing around 38, that's another around 75 Tests. I think, ECB would have kept him in charge at least till next Ashes, because it'll be tough on anyone that takes ENG to down under, but the honorable man made it easy for them.

Wish him good luck - a true gentleman & great character. His words before & after Bangladesh tour were exemplary.
 
The_Odd_One said:
I think Root's captaincy will end like Tendulkar's. Not every great batsman can be a good captain. England should give the captaincy to Bairstow or Stokes.
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Bairstow sounds better. Stokes sounds like another Flintoff.
Often lacks the ability to keep calm aswell.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Alastair Cook top of the list with Misbah-ul-Haq 3rd <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash">#Cricket</a> <a href="https://t.co/K626Rht4Dp">pic.twitter.com/K626Rht4Dp</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/828697802842705922">February 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Abdullah719 said:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Alastair Cook top of the list with Misbah-ul-Haq 3rd <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash">#Cricket</a> <a href="https://t.co/K626Rht4Dp">pic.twitter.com/K626Rht4Dp</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/828697802842705922">February 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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Just number of runs doesn't help. That's like saying Afridi has 300+ ODI wickets wow what a bowler. I'd like to see Misbah's average as captain.
 
Mamoon said:
And we have gentleman Misbah who has seconds thoughts about stepping down as captain, even though he is not half the player Cook is and is 10 years older.
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Better captain though.
 
Syed1 said:
Just number of runs doesn't help. That's like saying Afridi has 300+ ODI wickets wow what a bowler. I'd like to see Misbah's average as captain.
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Since August 2012 (Time period in that tweet) Misbah averages 45.98. Cook averages 44.57.

Overall as captain Misbah averages 50.55 while Cook averages 46.57

Syed1 said:
Highly debatable.
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The existence of climate change is highly debatable in some parts, doesn't make it any less of a fact.
 
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Syed1 said:
Just number of runs doesn't help. That's like saying Afridi has 300+ ODI wickets wow what a bowler. I'd like to see Misbah's average as captain.
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Sure about that? It's better than Cook's. :misbah4

[table= class:grid][tr][td]Player[/td][td]Mat[/td][td]Inns[/td][td]NO[/td][td]Runs[/td][td]HS[/td][td]Ave[/td][td]BF[/td][td]SR[/td][td]100[/td][td]50[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]SPD Smith (AUS)[/td][td]20[/td][td]35[/td][td]5[/td][td]2212[/td][td]192[/td][td]73.73[/td][td]3510[/td][td]63.01[/td][td]9[/td][td]9[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]V Kohli (INDIA)[/td][td]22[/td][td]35[/td][td]2[/td][td]2111[/td][td]235[/td][td]63.96[/td][td]3554[/td][td]59.39[/td][td]8[/td][td]4[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]AD Mathews (SL)[/td][td]34[/td][td]64[/td][td]9[/td][td]2802[/td][td]160[/td][td]50.94[/td][td]5329[/td][td]52.58[/td][td]6[/td][td]15[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]MJ Clarke (AUS)[/td][td]32[/td][td]60[/td][td]9[/td][td]2546[/td][td]259*[/td][td]49.92[/td][td]4273[/td][td]59.58[/td][td]9[/td][td]5[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Misbah-ul-Haq (PAK)[/td][td]36[/td][td]65[/td][td]7[/td][td]2667[/td][td]135[/td][td]45.98[/td][td]5579[/td][td]47.80[/td][td]7[/td][td]19[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]BB McCullum (NZ)[/td][td]31[/td][td]54[/td][td]2[/td][td]2355[/td][td]302[/td][td]45.28[/td][td]3192[/td][td]73.77[/td][td]6[/td][td]7[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]AN Cook (ENG)[/td][td]57[/td][td]107[/td][td]6[/td][td]4502[/td][td]263[/td][td]44.57[/td][td]9905[/td][td]45.45[/td][td]10[/td][td]24[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Mushfiqur Rahim (BDESH)[/td][td]23[/td][td]39[/td][td]3[/td][td]1442[/td][td]200[/td][td]40.05[/td][td]2915[/td][td]49.46[/td][td]3[/td][td]6[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]MS Dhoni (INDIA)[/td][td]22[/td][td]37[/td][td]4[/td][td]1294[/td][td]224[/td][td]39.21[/td][td]2250[/td][td]57.51[/td][td]1[/td][td]8[/td][/tr][/table]

Cook's output has dropped a bit since he became captain.

Smith is quite good.
 
Averaging the same as an opener who faces the shiny new ball in swinging English conditions while you come out to bat at number 5 on dead UAE conditions and it is considered a major achievement.

All hail gentleman.
 
Syed1 said:
Averaging the same as an opener who faces the shiny new ball in swinging English conditions while you come out to bat at number 5 on dead UAE conditions and it is considered a major achievement.

All hail gentleman.
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Who said it's a major achievement? :misbah3
 
Syed1 said:
Averaging the same as an opener who faces the shiny new ball in swinging English conditions while you come out to bat at number 5 on dead UAE conditions and it is considered a major achievement.

All hail gentleman.
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You asked for the average and you were given it. Please don't get hostile. :misbah

Syed1 said:
Highly debatable.
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Not at all. Misbah's Pakistan has thrashed Cook's England around, home and away. Also gotta look at their LOI captaincy.
 
I think, Misbah still averages over 50 as Captain & that's after 50+ Tests as Captain, which is very good; better than decent if we put a foot note that it's mostly in Asia. It's just that last 5/6 Test that has dented his figures, otherwise it was around 55 after almost 50 Tests as Captain.

That recent slump won't have been any problem had he been 32, but he is in an age that by every day it'll get worsen regardless of venue or opponents. Still, this man hoping to fix his ANZ tour in coming days, which is the bigger problem.
 
Abdullah719 said:
Sure about that? It's better than Cook's. :misbah4

[table= class:grid][tr][td]Player[/td][td]Mat[/td][td]Inns[/td][td]NO[/td][td]Runs[/td][td]HS[/td][td]Ave[/td][td]BF[/td][td]SR[/td][td]100[/td][td]50[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]SPD Smith (AUS)[/td][td]20[/td][td]35[/td][td]5[/td][td]2212[/td][td]192[/td][td]73.73[/td][td]3510[/td][td]63.01[/td][td]9[/td][td]9[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]V Kohli (INDIA)[/td][td]22[/td][td]35[/td][td]2[/td][td]2111[/td][td]235[/td][td]63.96[/td][td]3554[/td][td]59.39[/td][td]8[/td][td]4[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]AD Mathews (SL)[/td][td]34[/td][td]64[/td][td]9[/td][td]2802[/td][td]160[/td][td]50.94[/td][td]5329[/td][td]52.58[/td][td]6[/td][td]15[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]MJ Clarke (AUS)[/td][td]32[/td][td]60[/td][td]9[/td][td]2546[/td][td]259*[/td][td]49.92[/td][td]4273[/td][td]59.58[/td][td]9[/td][td]5[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Misbah-ul-Haq (PAK)[/td][td]36[/td][td]65[/td][td]7[/td][td]2667[/td][td]135[/td][td]45.98[/td][td]5579[/td][td]47.80[/td][td]7[/td][td]19[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]BB McCullum (NZ)[/td][td]31[/td][td]54[/td][td]2[/td][td]2355[/td][td]302[/td][td]45.28[/td][td]3192[/td][td]73.77[/td][td]6[/td][td]7[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]AN Cook (ENG)[/td][td]57[/td][td]107[/td][td]6[/td][td]4502[/td][td]263[/td][td]44.57[/td][td]9905[/td][td]45.45[/td][td]10[/td][td]24[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Mushfiqur Rahim (BDESH)[/td][td]23[/td][td]39[/td][td]3[/td][td]1442[/td][td]200[/td][td]40.05[/td][td]2915[/td][td]49.46[/td][td]3[/td][td]6[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]MS Dhoni (INDIA)[/td][td]22[/td][td]37[/td][td]4[/td][td]1294[/td][td]224[/td][td]39.21[/td][td]2250[/td][td]57.51[/td][td]1[/td][td]8[/td][/tr][/table]

Cook's output has dropped a bit since he became captain.

Smith is quite good.
Click to expand...

An average of 73 is just 'quite good' ?
 
Bilal7 said:
Better captain though.
Click to expand...

Its not really hard to be a better captain than Cook if where being honest. If someone went for Misbah over Cook I don't really mind and vice versa. Neither are great captains.
 
Perfect time to resign from captaincy...

Apt decision from Cook.He can concentrate on his batting now.

Has been a great servant for England team despite the highs and lows.
 
I respect these Australian and English cricketers since they know when to call it quits and not drag on their careers unnecessarily.
 
Hasan123 said:
Its not really hard to be a better captain than Cook if where being honest. If someone went for Misbah over Cook I don't really mind and vice versa. Neither are great captains.
Click to expand...

Misbah has been a pretty good test captain. Took a team from its lowest ebb to its most glorious high. Unbeatable at home with away wins in Sri Lanka and New Zealand also on his resume. Two wins in England are also substantial for an Asian captain and he handled his spinners really well (until the recent series down under). He's Pakistan's second best and definitely a very good captain, of not a great one.

Cook has had his moments especially in the beginning but then he fell off. I'd say he's been good too but not as good as Misbah.
 
Bilal7 said:
Misbah has been a pretty good test captain. Took a team from its lowest ebb to its most glorious high. Unbeatable at home with away wins in Sri Lanka and New Zealand also on his resume. Two wins in England are also substantial for an Asian captain and he handled his spinners really well (until the recent series down under). He's Pakistan's second best and definitely a very good captain, of not a great one.

Cook has had his moments especially in the beginning but then he fell off. I'd say he's been good too but not as good as Misbah.
Click to expand...

Misbah is also the first Pakistani captain in 31 years to lose a series in NZ. He has also successfully managed to draw away series in 9th ranked Zimbabwe and 8th ranked West Indies while most other test teams wallop those sides. He also has the honour of having a Windies victory in UAE on his resume. Being a captain for 6-7 years and all you have to show in terms of away victories are SL and NZ both countries which most Pakistani test captains have conquered.

Why don't you present both sides of the picture?
 
Bilal7 said:
Better captain though.
Click to expand...

As captain, Cook has won Test series in India and South Africa. Misbah has no notable achievements overseas, except for a win in NZ.

Misbah though has been better at home and also when it comes to head-to-head with Cook, so overall I'd say it is pretty even, but winning Test series in India and South Africa is a massive for any captain, and the 6 consecutive defeats in three different countries (UAE, NZ, Australia) as well as a Test defeat in Zimbabwe counts against Misbah big time.

I'd go with Cook as captain by a nose, and as batsmen it is not even a contest. As far as LOIs are concerned, Misbah was a terrible captain but he made the team as batsman when we were at our lowest ebb, even though he was a misfit in this era. Cook had competition from much better LOI players, but if he was Pakistani, he would been our first choice opener in ODIs as well during the 2012-2015 era, ahead of the likes of Hafeez and Shehzad.
 
A great servant to the English game; nevertheless it is the right time from him to step down - and he had clearly signposted this decision late last year, so no surprises at all.

I sense that he would genuinely not have a problem being captained by another senior player, and he is still a quality batsman - one of England's best - so I am 100% behind him continuing as a Test opener for a number of years in the future.

As for his replacement, although Root is the obvious favourite personally I would not want to put his batting prowess at risk. I would go for Stuart Broad.
 
Mamoon said:
As captain, Cook has won Test series in India and South Africa. Misbah has no notable achievements overseas, except for a win in NZ.

Misbah though has been better at home and also when it comes to head-to-head with Cook, so overall I'd say it is pretty even, but winning Test series in India and South Africa is a massive for any captain, and the 6 consecutive defeats in three different countries (UAE, NZ, Australia) as well as a Test defeat in Zimbabwe counts against Misbah big time.

I'd go with Cook as captain by a nose, and as batsmen it is not even a contest. As far as LOIs are concerned, Misbah was a terrible captain but he made the team as batsman when we were at our lowest ebb, even though he was a misfit in this era. Cook had competition from much better LOI players, but if he was Pakistani, he would been our first choice opener in ODIs as well during the 2012-2015 era, ahead of the likes of Hafeez and Shehzad.
Click to expand...

Winning two tests in England is a pretty good feat, seeing how no other Asian captain has done anything similar over the last decade or more. Beating Sri Lanka was also a pretty good achievement when you consider that England couldn't win there when they last visited. Whitewashing Australia is also a big plus.

Cook got humiliated during MJ' Ashes, the series loss to Sri Lanka and then at the beginning of the home series against India. So the bad results balance out.

More than the results, it is the manner in which Misbah managed the team that puts him ahead. Cook couldn't handle Pietersen and endured an ugly period with him in the team and had to evict him. Misbah has had the full respect of his entire team, even with characters like Younis and Shehzad present.

All in all, across formats or even in all three formats individually, Misbah has been comfortably better than Cook as a captain.
 
Cook's achievements as a captain puts him on a better level than what he actually was as a captain.

Misbah is obviously a better captain without any shadow of doubt.
 
Joe Root, Stuart Broad and Ben Stokes interviewed for England Test captain

Joe Root was among three players interviewed for the job of England Test captain on Thursday following Alastair Cook’s resignation this week.

Root met England director of cricket Andrew Strauss and chairman of selectors James Whitaker in Leeds as the formal process to appoint Cook’s successor began.

Although the morning talks with the 26-year-old Yorkshire batsman appear to be an exercise in box ticking, Strauss and Whitaker also sat down with other candidates later in the day — Ben Stokes in Leeds before heading down the M1 to meet with Stuart Broad in Nottingham.

On Monday Strauss said he wanted to canvass senior players before choosing. However, Root has been the next cab off the rank for the captaincy since assuming the Test vice-captaincy from Ian Bell at the start of the 2015 international summer.

That decision was of Strauss’ making, as part of a succession plan for when Cook finally called time.

One of the only concerns for England is appointing a player whose talent and importance dictates automatic selection for all three formats.

However any burn-out fears apply equally to Durham all-rounder Stokes, whose own leadership skills have been championed by England coach Trevor Bayliss. Stokes was made vice-captain to Jos Buttler for the one-day section of the tour of Bangladesh last autumn when Eoin Morgan pulled out over safety fears and Root was rested.

Australian Bayliss has been involved in the selection of the new captain, albeit his input provided from afar as he is holidaying in his homeland. Stokes is fiercely ambitious and has captaincy aspirations, but will be content as Root’s deputy: the pair were first England team-mates in the Under 19s and remain very close friends.

The visit to the more senior Broad — Strauss spoke of it being right to ‘follow a process’ — will have offered a different perspective on the future direction of an England team and the challenges it faces, just nine months before they try to defend the Ashes. All three candidates were part of the 5-0 whitewash inflicted by Australia in the 2013-14 series.

The ECB intend to unveil their new Test figurehead on February 20, two days before the limited-overs squad travel to the Caribbean for a trio of 50-over internationals. Conveniently, Root and Stokes are in London for promotional sponsors shoots prior to the departure.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/article-4209340/Root-Broad-Stokes-interviewed-England-captain.html
 
Cook should have been sacked long ago. Average captain who got some good results because of who he was captaining.
 
James said:
As for his replacement, although Root is the obvious favourite personally I would not want to put his batting prowess at risk. I would go for Stuart Broad.
Click to expand...


Hmmm, I remember when the main strike bowler Bob Willis was made skipper. Didn't go that well. He fell into deep trance and did not communicate. Gower set the fields for him!

Root might get better. The extra responsibility might make him convert more fifties into centuries.
 
Bilal7 said:
Cook should have been sacked long ago. Average captain who got some good results because of who he was captaining.
Click to expand...

And that's why you're a user of an Internet message forum instead of a cricketer administrator or professional man-manager.
 
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