ALASTAIR COOK begins his career as England's one-day captain today with a blast back at former skipper Mike Atherton.
It shows Cook will be his own man and will not be distracted from his dream of becoming both Test and limited-overs skipper.
On the eve of the opening 50-over clash against Sri Lanka at The Oval, Cook rejected former opener Atherton's claim he should not lead the team.
Atherton, now a Sky Sports pundit, described Cook as a "blocker at the top of the order" and "a bit of a donkey in the field".
Quick as a flash, Cook responded: "I suppose it takes one to know one!"
He said: "Everyone is entitled to an opinion but I have scored a one-day hundred for England and I know I can score runs at the top of the order.
"As an international player, you are always under pressure and always having to prove yourself. I'm no different now.
"My one-day game has evolved. I scored runs quickly in Bangladesh last year so I know I have the talent and skill to do it.
"I don't think one-day cricket will affect my Test batting. You need the skill to be able to change your method and mindset when you move from Test cricket to one-day cricket and back again.
"I'm more experienced and have a better understanding of my game. I'm a more expansive batsman than I was, although I'm nowhere near the finished article."
Cook becomes the
THIRD man to lead England in eight days after Test captain Andrew Strauss handed over to Stuart Broad for Saturday's nine-wicket Twenty20 drubbing in Bristol.
But Cook, 26, insists it will not be a problem.
He explained: "We're not sure how it will work but, with the personnel we have, we think it is the best way forward. Myself and Broady are two inexperienced leaders who can learn from Straussy.
"And, with Broady as vice-captain in the one-dayers, he has passed on a lot of information from Saturday."
England players yesterday met injured servicemen on a visit to the MoD's Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court in Surrey.
The row over the Umpire Decision Review System took another farcical twist when the ICC said the system will be mandatory — but without Hawkeye.
It means the ball-tracking technology will not be present for England's series against India, making the third umpire's job more difficult.
Read more:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...#ixzz1QaqPI0FJ
Reply With Quote