The long and winding road of a seemingly uncertain Alastair Cook

It was a hot day in Chepauk and the sun was beating down. Of course, winters are the best time in Chennai given the milder weather, but one man was certainly feeling the heat. He was placed at mid-off, yet there was something about his expression. There are a massive hue and cry about the way Alastair Cook has carried himself in recent times. Cook looked defeated. There is a concern when one looks defeated. Karun Nair blasted away towards his triple century. Yet, neither one Englishman on the field looked like he wanted to be there. Even when they picked up the wicket of Ravindra Jadeja, Jake Ball did not have the same smirk across his face as one would have when one picks a wicket. The sun was beating down and the Britons wanted to head back into the haven of the dressing room. While the England cricket team boasts a wonderful history and cricketing heritage, there is something that one needs to revisit when it comes to what Alastair Cook is going through at the moment. In 1981, the pressure on Sir Ian Botham was unequivocal compared to the others who had done the job before him. The 1990s had well and truly kicked off what was a horror in the history of the United Kingdom. There were indeed those who had exuded the skepticism of Margret Thatcher as the woman to lead the Brits out of their despairing recession, but the England and Wales Cricket Board, housed in the so-called Home of Cricket at the time went on to take a call on what needed to be done. While the axes stayed for a while, it was clear that it would eventually fall. What is unfortunate is that Alastair Cook finds himself in the similar position. The stuffed shirt behind the desk under the banner of the glorious ECB is none other than Andrew Strauss. Now Strauss and Cook have a fairly uncomplicated relationship. However, unlike the relationship with the likes of Kevin Pietersen, Cook finds himself in the good books of Strauss who has seemingly given his former teammate a massive rope, the length of which has been exploited by Cook on several occasions. This rope has seen the 31-year-old basically fire himself on several occasions as well. However, there is some solace in some of the words Cook speaks. Of course, it certainly is not unforgivable given the fact that he has not been consistent as a skipper in 2016, but there is a huge commodity for him as he would certainly prepare himself to be the skipper for the next few days before a call is taken on what needs to be done in the interest of England cricket going forward. Two of the cricketers I hugely admire and sadly, never had the chance of watching wield the bat were Ian Chappell and Geoff Boycott. While these two were certainly leaders among men irrespective of the fact that they held the position of the captain or not, they have another thing in common. They are pining for the resignation of Alastair Cook. Through their articles and written works, the duo is calling for the resignation of the 31-year-old. Even Michael Vaughan, another leader among men for England during his time following the conclusion of Nasser Hussain’s stint also is another who has called for Cook’s papers. Even for Vaughan, the speculation has gone a bit too far. The speculation from Cook at the very least has been his undoing in most of these cases. However, the trio that has called in for Cook’s head, faces a dominant opposition. In fact, former skippers Botham, Atherton, and Hussain have come in to save the skipper. They have batted for him the same way Paul Farbrace, England’s assistant coach has batted for him. While the cons of the Cook’s captaincy are there for one and all to see, there are a few facts that need to be considered when it comes to taking a call whether or not the beleaguered England skipper does indeed keep his job. Personally, I believe that he remains to be the best man to take England forward. Joe Root is still in his infancy in his cricket career and it would certainly be a bit too early to thrust the role on him. Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali and perhaps even Stuart Broad are certainly not the answers to this. So, what is the key to winning in the subcontinent? The 4-0 whipping of England is merely warning shots to the Australians who will be making the spring trip from down under. Of course, they are stopping over in Dubai for a few preparatory matches before coming down, but the ball game is certainly a very different one. In addition, the wickets in Dubai are dry. But do they turn? Maybe not as much as one would expect it to turn in India. To critique some of the things the anti-Cook supporters have said, I really don’t think that you can blame a skipper for the shortcomings of the team. One black mark if you will against Cook is the fact that he is a conservative captain. So what? Ricky Ponting, Arjuna Ranatunga, Stephen Fleming (to name a few) have been perhaps the most methodical and conservative captains of their eras and they have a lot of success to boast of as skippers of their sides. Of course, I am not defending the fact that Cook’s leadership or captaincy is something to be proud of, but the crux of conservation is simply following a rulebook. When this so-called ‘rulebook’ is flawed as was England’s in their tour of India, things will go south, perhaps a 4-0 defeat is evidence of the same. While it is fashionable to blame Cook for being a poor skipper, what about the others who made their way out to the subcontinent? As Ian Chappell has stated previously, there is a massive difference between ‘The Best Team’ and ‘The Right Team’. As Mr. Chappell would go on to illustrate, “Of late, it doesn’t seem to matter what combination India utilise, it’s the right one. India have a seemingly endless production line of prolific young batsmen; huge totals plus the guile of spinners R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, have proved to be an irresistible combination.” “Picking the best six batsmen is a good start and if they can’t fathom Indian conditions then the tour is destined to be a lost cause. The choice of an all-rounder for India is a far cry from what is required in Australia, as the batsmen who bowl – Steven Smith and David Warner – are both part-time spinners who can offer a few overs of variety and relief.” After all this, irrespective of the fact that Alastair Cook decides to step down or not, the England selectors would have a tough yet straightforward question. Is he the man to lead the Britons in the upcoming Ashes series? The way they answer it will determine what happens in the next year or so.

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The long and winding road of a seemingly uncertain Alastair Cook

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