I regret Kevin Pietersen's episode, public support helped me stay on as captain, says Alastair Cook

What’s the story?

Former England captain Alastair Cook has revealed that he could only continue to be the leader of the side due to the overwhelming support he received from the England fans. He also conceded that the entire Kevin Pietersen episode could have been tackled in a much better way and that he regrets all his decisions pertaining to Pietersen.

‘I do wish it had been done differently. I was part of the group who made that decision and it was what we thought was best for English cricket. But the fall-out was not very good for the game. It wasn’t great for it to be all over the front and back pages and social media,” Cook said.

However, he was quick to acknowledge the role of Andrew Strauss and said that things have generally gone on in the right direction ever since he took over.

The details:

The normally self-effacing Cook also said that the only reason he could continue as the captain of the England side was the massive public support he received back in 2014 when even the England Cricket Board had turned their backs to him.

He spoke about the tremendous ovation he received during the Southampton Test back in 2014 and how it spurred him on to get through the tough times, and also it gave him the conviction that he could be the captain of the side for a much longer time.

Coming back to the Pietersen episode, Cook did not hesitate when he accepted that the phase was one of the lowest phases during his captaincy stints. However, he also mentioned that the decision was taken by the group, but the entire blame was only pinned on him as none of the administrators were willing to stick out their necks and bite the bullet.

In case you didn’t know...

Cook was the focal point of criticism back when they decided to sack Kevin Pietersen after their disastrous 2013 Ashes where they were whitewashed 5-0. The Essex man received a lot of flak from all quarters for this ‘repulsive’ step.

However, the man has a solid temperament and he stuck around and quickly turned around the perception of all those around.

Things did not improve when his side lost to India on a green track in Lord’s and there were clarion calls made to remove him as the skipper of the side. He stayed on and then came the Southampton Test in which he scored 95 and in many ways gave him a much-needed second wing.

What's next?

Cook, who is England’s leading run-scorer in Tests is a relaxed man and is looking forward to his stint with Essex before returning to England under a new captain. Joe Root is one of the leading names for the job, although Cook believes Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes have been brilliant in and around the dressing room.

Sportskeeda’s Take

With the weight of captaincy off his shoulders, Cook should ideally look to play for another 4-5 years as he is supremely fit and England would need him at the top of the order for few can deny his pedigree and worth.

Also, he has given enough indications of his solid temperament and sound mental strength in the aforementioned episodes and thus there would be no lack of commitment from Cook’s side and England could prosper a lot in the coming years.