[QUOTE=“flattythehurdler, post: 1132194, member: 1170”]1. Cooke elected to bat.
2. He got Ali run out when well set.
3. He got himself out to the last ball of the day.
The Aussies will be praying he retains the captaincy. He has the gravitas of bambi.[/QUOTE]
Joe Root ran 3 guys out in his big innings the other day. It happens. Cook got out on the fifth last ball I thought? but I take your point. if Cook is rock solid at the top of the order it is a plus for England. But I don’t think he is much of a captain. There was a great chance to try a new opener on this tour or a different spinner and England did not take it. I assume Cook has in input into decisions like that.
Cook was the one who pushed for trott, which actually, I don’t have a problem with. Bit rich if he now ditches him after clinging on like a barnacle whilst his batting and the team in general under his captaincy were so appalling.
The team in general has been appalling under Cook’s captaincy? You’re talking utter nonsense, which is hardly surprising because you haven’t the first clue about cricket. Cook has had a few bumps, but there’s been a lot more ups. Here’s the breakdown of how England have performed under Cook’s captaincy
2-0 series win in Bangladesh in 2010 when he deputised as captain for the absent Andrew Strauss
2-1 series win in India in 2012, the first England captain to win a series in India since David Gower in 1984/85. Cook man of the series, weighing in with centuries in the first three tests, a 176 in the defeat in Ahmedabad, a 122 in the win in Bombay and a 190 in the win in Calcutta
0-0 drawn series in a rain blighted 3 test tour of New Zealand in March 2013
2-0 win in the return series in England against New Zealand in May 2013
3-0 Ashes series win over Australia in the summer of 2013, first time Australia failed to win a test in an Ashes series since 1977
The low point undoubtedly the 5-0 whitewash in Australia in the return series. Cook and management moved decisively in the aftermath to remove the troublesome and fading triumvirate of Swann, Pietersen & Prior from the dressing room.
A 1-0 test series lost to Sri Lanka in 2014
A 3-1 test series win over India in the summer of 2014
England are currently 1-0 up on the West Indies and Cook is poised to become only the 2nd England captain to win a test series in the Carribbean since 1968.
This appalling captaincy record under Cook you refer to actually reads from 8 completed series, won 5 drawn 1, lost 2. By Tuesday it will be 9 completed series and could well read won 6 drawn 1 lost 2.
Cook is not natural officer class in the way Michael Vaughan and Andrew Strauss were. He took on the job as a stop-gap as a senior player because there were no one else to fill the role. Joe Root will in the next few years, more than likely become the next captain of England, he’s a natural captain, but is still only in his early 20’s. Cook’s form with the bat has dipped with the pressure of captaincy, but he’s hardly the first captain that’s happened to - Ian Botham, Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh and Brian Lara all had similar problems. His form with the bat is improving though - 76, 59 n.o. & 105 in his last three innings. I’d expect some big scores from Captain Cook over the English summer.
Bowlers day in Barbados - England resuming on 241/7 were all out for 257. Windies were then bowled out for 189 in just under 50 overs. England already on 13/2. Trott out for 9 on what is surely his last test innings and Cook gone now as well.
The West Indies have beaten England at Kensington Oval inside three days to draw the series 1-1. Trademark second innings collapse from England (123 all out) the key and West Indies clobbered the 194 runs required for the loss of five wickets.
