Alastair Cook has stepped down as captain of the England Test team after more than four years at the helm. He took over the captaincy from Andrew Strauss back in 2012 and has gone on to become one of the greatest captains for England. Numbers don’t lie; with 24 Test wins, which is the second most by any English captain (Only behind Michael Vaughan’s 26), Cook surely deserves a seat with the greats.
Without a doubt, Cook is one of the greatest Test batsmen England has produced. He is the most prolific run-getter in England’s history, has the most number of Test caps, their most successful captain, and he still has a few years in the tank.
His career as captain has had many highs and a few lows. He had his moments; England reached the top of the rankings, and there were the Ashes wins of 2013 and 2015, beating India at home 2-1 after 28 years in 2012 were among the highlights of Cook’s reign. But this English side also saw a 5-0 Ashes whitewash in 2014. 2016 hasn’t been the best of years for Cook and England, with a drawn series at home against Pakistan, a drawn series against Bangladesh and the final punch, a 4-0 drubbing by India.
Cook has taken this decision in a selfless manner, and for that, he deserves all the praise coming his way. Most cricket experts feel that he has stepped down at the right time. Let’s take a look at few of the reasons why this was a good and timely move by Alastair Cook:
#5 Cook’s approach isn’t yielding results anymore
Cook comes from a traditional English cricketing school of thought. This can be seen in his batting, where he tends to take up a more defensive approach. This can be seen in his captaincy as well. He tends to set up defensive fields and very rarely makes aggressive declarations. Cook, lately, has been more likely to settle for a draw than risk a victory, and this has seen a drought of wins under his belt.
This new English team has players with a more aggressive approach and Cook’s instincts have proven to be counter-productive lately. This hugely talented English side requires a shake-up at the helm, and a new captaincy could very well bring the side back to winning ways.
#4 It’s the right time for Root to take over
Joe Root is the likely successor to Cook. He has been England’s talismanic batsman across all formats and is considered as one of the best batsmen in the world right now. He is young, has a great temperament, and the confidence that this team highly needs.
He has mustered immense respect in the dressing room and has been leading from the front with one fabulous innings after another. It wouldn’t be wrong to say it’s time he leads this team as well.
He is still very young and has a very promising career in front of him, and can be moulded into a long term prospect for England. Many players thrive under captaincy and Root does seem like a player who would want to lead the team from the front.
#3 Cook the Test batsman
The strain of captaincy has taken a toll on Cook’s batting and it’s been evident in recent times. He has to lead the team and open the batting as well; this can affect the focus of the best of men. If a captain is in poor form, it can affect his captaincy and vice versa.
Lately, it can be clearly seen that pressures of leading the side have managed to unfold the chinks in what was an almost unbreachable armour before.
He has been one of England’s greatest Test batsmen with over 11,000 runs and he still has plenty to offer as a batsman. With the burden of captaincy relieved of his shoulders, Cook can concentrate on his own batting. He is still England’s best opener in whites and might just one day surpass Sachin Tendulkar’s 15,921 Test runs.
#4 Cook can do a Dhoni-turn
Cook can take up a similar role as to what MS Dhoni is doing for the India limited-overs side. He can help Root in the transition of becoming a Test captain of England, like Dhoni is doing with Virat Kohli. By resigning as captain with quite a few years of cricket still left in him, it assures he can be there as a guide for Root.
Root is still in the early stages of his career and still has a lot to learn. Cook can be part of the moulding process and help in nurturing the leadership aspect of Root, as he is a valuable asset for England and should be handled with care. He has plenty of time to pass on the trades of the craft to Root and play the role of a senior in the team.
He is somebody who is immensely respected by all the cricketers that share the dressing room with him. Without the burden of captaincy, he can freely mentor the younger members of the squad in a timely manner. He doesn’t have to be too bogged down by the external pressure, and a relaxed Cook is at his dangerous best.
#5 Shake up the dressing room atmosphere
The England team have been going through a bit of a rut, with a string of failures. If consecutive failures pile on, it will most definitely take a toll on the morale of the team. A change at the helm could bring about a refreshed and renewed take on the game, and this English side are badly in need of this.
What can break a bad momentum is a positive deviation and a change at this junction could be the ideal solution. This new age team is comprised of young aggressive players, and they can feed off knowing a change is approaching. They will be motivated to be part of the change and will be driven to outdo their past performances.
The limited overs side has turned it around after the World Cup exit, and the Test team could also follow suit. Alastair Cook has served England as captain with great integrity, but it’s time to look beyond Cook and take a new direction.
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