by Sir Alastair Cook has said that there would still be room for a traditional player like himself in England’s current Test game under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum.
Cook, who retired from Test cricket in 2018 and then from first-class cricket last year, is England’s highest run-scorer in the five-day game. He amassed 12,472 runs at an average of 45.35 during an impressive Test career, but was often noted for his flamboyant style, holding back a strike rate of just 47 in his career.
Last year, Stokes said he would not choose the left-armer if he were available today, out of respect for Cook’s qualities. “Nowadays with me as captain and Baz as coach that’s not what we’re looking for,” Stokes said. “Right here and now it’s pretty clear what kind of players we want and how to get them noticed.”
But Cook, who is working as a TNT Sports draftsman for the second Test, which starts on Friday, believes anyone who scores a lot of runs in county cricket could still break into England’s Test side, even if they bat at a more traditional pace.
“I’ll sit and watch him – remember who gave him his first start and all that stuff,” Cook said.
“At the end of the day, the number of runs has a big, big impact. If you go back to when I first started as a 21-year-old, I scored enough runs to make my way in. And if a 20-21 year old does that there is something about him. The selectors will definitely look at him.”
Dom Sibley and Haseeb Hameed are top players who came to the fore in the recent past before Stokes became full-time captain in May 2022. Neither has played since. England’s opening pair of Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett have strike rates of 78 and 89 respectively under the current regime, and their quick scoring against the new ball was influential in the stunning come-from-behind win against India in the opening Test in Hyderabad . .
“Those two have formed a great partnership and the confidence the rest of the order can bring is fantastic,” said Cook, praising the opening pair. “Ideally, you want two very different players at the top of the order. In general, the left and right hand theory makes more sense, the bowlers have to change around. Then there’s short stuff, big stuff, all that kind of thing, different strengths.”
Cook, who captained England to a 2-1 series win in India in 2012 – the last series India lost at home – has backed close friend James Anderson to make an impact on the series if he is recalled for the second Test in Visakhapatnam . Anderson has a fine record in India, with 34 wickets at 29.3 in 13 Tests, and was instrumental in the 2012 series win and Chennai’s win on the 2021 tour.
“I think that’s a very viable option,” Cook said. “It’s nice to have the option of 690 Test wickets to come in if you want it.”
Cook also praised England’s victory in Hyderabad, after overturning a 190-run first innings deficit.
“I think it’s one of the biggest wins or away wins anywhere considering where they found themselves at the end of the second day. But also in general to beat an Indian side like that in their home conditions, we know how difficult it is. It was a great effort.”
Cook believes India struggled to respond to the onslaught from England’s batsmen, led by Ollie Pope, whose second innings of 196 has been hailed as one of the country’s best away innings.
“They didn’t know that they were going to chase that fourth innings or that they were going to stop the run on England so they looked a bit overboard. I think he shook them. I think you’re 200 runs ahead and they’re so used to winning games – they’ve only lost three test matches out of 40 odd at home – suddenly [India thought]: ‘God, this will not happen again.’
“I said before the series that it would be very interesting to see how India would cope with the willingness to attack spin that England’s batsmen will show. We knew it was going to happen and it’s difficult as a captain because there’s not much you can do. Halfway through the third day they weren’t sure where to go or what to do.”
Cook believes England should continue to attack India’s spinners in a similar fashion in the next four Tests.
“This England side and the talent they have in that batting line-up, he could be one of four or five who could play an innings like that,” said the former captain. “He will give England a lot of confidence.”
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