ALASTAIR COOK will force England to rip up their early plans for next winter’s Ashes tour if he quits as Test captain.
Cook arrived home Wednesday after the disastrous tour of India and is likely to decide his future next month in consultation with Andrew Strauss.
There are three options – stay on for another year, resign and allow Joe Root to become captain or be sacked by his friend Strauss.
But assistant-coach Paul Farbrace has revealed Cook, Strauss and head coach Trevor Bayliss have already embarked on preparation for the tour Down Under that begins in late October 2017.
These include discussions about when key players will be rested, details of practice matches and training camps, timings of family visits and preliminary thoughts on the make-up of the squad.
Farbrace also became the latest member of England’s hierarchy to insist nobody in the dressing-room wants Cook to go.
RELATED STORIES
He said: “There’s been more speculation outside the team than within it. We’ve started planning and we’re still planning for Cooky to be captain in the Ashes next winter.
“All the conversations I’ve been party to - with Straussy, Trevor and Cooky – have always been about working towards the Australia series next winter. That’s something we’ve been very clear on and, personally, I hope it continues.
“We know Cooky still has the support of the team. He’s a very popular bloke and very popular captain.
“We knew this was going to be a tough series. There’s nothing that suggests he’s lost his way as a captain or doesn’t still have the support of the team.
“The most important thing is that Cooky will make the decision based on what’s right for England cricket and not what’s right for Alastair Cook.”
Cook is often criticised for his passive demeanour on the field but Farbrace says he exerts his authority in and around the dressing.
He explained: “There’s no uncertainty within our team. He’s the captain and everybody knows where they stand with him.
“There’s nobody looking round the dressing-room thinking, ‘Ooh, I wonder who’s in charge?’ It’s very clear who’s in charge and that hasn’t changed.
“The uncertainty is outside the team. When you lose a series 4-0, people will talk about the leadership. We all know that. I’m not trying to be ultra-positive after a 4-0 defeat, but the captain has everyone’s support. Everyone is behind him being the leader of this team.
“He could have walked away after the last tour of Australia (when England lost 5-0) but he didn’t. One of the things that’s driven him is that he feels this team is improving with a lot of good cricket to be played. We all think that.
“If he chooses to step down, that would be a shame because we want him to carry on. But we all need a little time to get away from this, go home and reflect. I’m sure Cooky will chat to a few people he trusts.
“A lot has been made about Joe Root and there have been comments by Cooky and Trevor saying Rooty is ready to be the next captain.
“But I don’t think anybody who becomes captain of England knows for sure if they are ready to do the job.
“It’s a huge job and one that everybody in England thinks they can do better. We all have opinions - which is fantastic, that’s the nature of the game.”
Leave a comment