Andrew Posted August 16, 2014 Report Share Posted August 16, 2014 Now that his form has turned a bit, in so far as he is scoring runs and leading a team which is destroying another, what do we think about his captaincy? Vaughan was pretty vocal after Lords that he needed to go - not permanently, but off for a rest, to come back as the batsman he used to be. Then the series is turned around by some fairly comprehensive victories. Do we think Cook stays, or should he go? I think he should go - I'd like him back as the batsman people want to see open an innings without the captaincy pressure. I think the Indians have, in some form, gifted the series to us together with some fine work by our bowlers. Cook seems ok when things are going well, but not so great under the pressure of a loss. I wonder if people will be quick to laud him after this as having turned it round. I'll look like an idiot if he goes on to be the next Vaughan of course, but I just can't see it. He might be the best choice at the moment - maybe the only choice - but we have to get another leader lined up pretty quickly in my view. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke Posted August 16, 2014 Report Share Posted August 16, 2014 Make Anderson captain! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted August 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2014 One reply. ONE? Righty ho - I'll get back to my beloved game alone ... Thanks Luke - but no, Anderson isn't the sort. He is a legend, and if you have ever heard the BBC radio interviews with him, amusing in a quiet way, but I'd wager he wouldn't take the captaincy if asked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torino101 Posted August 16, 2014 Report Share Posted August 16, 2014 I'm pleased to see Cooks form return and I wouldn't want to see him leave the team. He totally deserves his place. However his captaincy is poor and doesn't seem to be getting any better. The biggest issue is a total lack of options to replace him. Broad is a mental case and Root is 11 years old. Peiterson would be the only option. But let's face it he's NOT coming back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billy2shots Posted August 16, 2014 Report Share Posted August 16, 2014 Root is lined up for captaincy IMO. Not yet though, which leaves Cook as the only option at the moment. Cook is not a good captain and anyone who has even a slight interest in the game would agree. His motivation is poor and his field settings are ill thought out. Anderson, Broad and Swann set their own fields and have masked many of Cooks flaws in that department. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted August 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2014 I did hear that James Taylor was thought to be being lined up as a future captain. Mind you, he has got to get a regular Test place still. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waylander Posted August 16, 2014 Report Share Posted August 16, 2014 I like Cook alot but his captaincy is utter rubbish and he seems to have little imagination in it. It seems silly that his future as captain is determined by his form as opening batsman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garcon magnifique Posted August 16, 2014 Report Share Posted August 16, 2014 At the moment I think he stays by default. There's just nobody to replace him. However I do think he's tactically naive and I'd much rather see him concentrate on his batting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billy2shots Posted August 17, 2014 Report Share Posted August 17, 2014 Thought it was very funny earlier in the series when Cook was trying to exert his authority over the senior bowlers. He would ask Anderson and Broad about the field placings but would make his own mind up over a couple of positions. On his way back to slip, Anderson and Broad were moving the field around to how they wanted it behind Cooks back. On James Taylor. The guy has /had looked quality in county cricket for years but didn't take his chance at international level. Some people don't, could be the step up or nerves etc. Rampeakash (sp) was a fine example. Out if the current squad Cook is the only option now. Root is a dead cert in the future but I don't see any other potential in the current squad. Owen Morgan would have a chance if he could break into the squad. On a side note, what will become of Steve Finn. Home series against a bad travelling side and he is still not given a shot. Poor management not to give him a chance as back up to Anderson and Broad rather than throw him in when one or both retire as a front line bowler with added stress and pressure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torino101 Posted August 17, 2014 Report Share Posted August 17, 2014 If Joss Butler remains he could also become a left field choice for captain.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian_C Posted August 17, 2014 Report Share Posted August 17, 2014 Yes Cook should stay. I thin the way Cook and England have hung on in there and turned things around shows real determination In reply to the above, surely every bowler wants to set their own fields don't they? Imagine any bowler would question their captain if they were not happy with the field placings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garcon magnifique Posted August 17, 2014 Report Share Posted August 17, 2014 Each bowler will want to set his field but he needs to do so within the parameters of the captain's overall tactical plan. Unless the captain doesn't have an overall tactical plan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted August 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2014 Cook should stay, but just not as el capitan. Gary Ballance for captain maybe too? He has been a quality addition. Buttler has done well too - Matthew Prior must be sick as a dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser647 Posted August 18, 2014 Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 Nope, give the lad a longer chance. England usually swap and change way too quickly on one or 2 dips in form. It's good they stuck with him, but I think that has more to do with kicking out Petersen rather than faith in Cook. If they dropped Cook so soon, then the selectors would have been left with an ostrich sized egg on their collective faces! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torino101 Posted August 18, 2014 Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 Cook is a superb player, possibly we will look back on him as one of the greats. He is NOT a great or even good captain though. All this victory against an abject Indian team has done, is served to disguise this fact for another series. Against SA or AUS I can't help but feel we'll be having this discussion all over again. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted August 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 In 25 years or however long we have to wait until the next test ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waylander Posted August 18, 2014 Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 Lol. Thing is though - how many good international "captains" have we actually got nowadays? Blokes who will do something innovative with their team to change things around, or genuinely inspire? Not that many I think Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewNiceMrMe Posted August 18, 2014 Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 (edited) I've been criticising him for months on Facebook and still think he should go. Give it to Broad (in the short term). If Cook is the Captain when we play SA or Australia we'll be reading about the humiliation of England, again. Edited August 18, 2014 by NewNiceMrMe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted August 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 Well I guess Dhoni tried to be inventive with his much maligned constant leg slip! Ponting, Smith and Vaughan were ok weren't they (I know the answer to the last of those three of course). Dravid did well too didn't he. Strauss seemed to do alright. Maybe these things take time, and I'm not a fan of the football hire and fire mentality, but with Cook I saw both bad captain and a loss of his own form. If he turns it around then great, I'll be delighted, and he might well fit the mould well given the wealth of talent seemingly coming up now with the bat at least. He needs a chance to inspire and hit a "captain's innings" just like Dhoni did throughout this series - maybe then my view will change. Of course it feels very odd to be talking this way after such an emphatic win and turnaround, but I'm a big believer that a bit of luck here and there does not fundamentally change the raw materials. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesB Posted August 18, 2014 Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 Cook oversaw a series win in India, which is hardly a common occurrence, and has beaten Australia once already in a series where England probably lost a majority of sessions. At the time, people were lauding his ruthlessness. Now we've gone through a rough patch, he's all of a sudden useless. Do we really think the last Ashes humiliation would have gone differently under another captain. All the innovative field placings in the world won't help a batting line-up that goes to pieces in the face of hostile bowling. Personally, I don't think he's an inspired captain but the team seems to want to play under him and there is nobody else in the picture right now. Broad is petulant, Bell doesn't seem loud enough, Anderson is getting long in the tooth and way too shy, Root is inexperienced (and no Graeme Smith), very few others have a guaranteed place. I never understand why Morgan's name comes up. He has repeatedly failed in Test cricket and hasn't always been guaranteed a place in his county line-up outside of the shorter forms of the game. I would stick with Cook for a while longer, see if Moores can bring a little more freedom than the uber-controlling Flower system and keep a couple in mind for succession plans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waylander Posted August 18, 2014 Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 I think that was my point James - there is no-one in English cricket who (I feel) is a realistic replacement for the reasons given and even looking at other countries many have insipid captains right now rather than the Smith et al. Dhoni at least tries stuff (example the fielders on boundaries and bouncing which could be argued won that test) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesB Posted August 18, 2014 Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 Exactly - Dhoni tries stuff but India were still absolutely butchered in the last three Tests. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian_C Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 Chefs back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser647 Posted May 2, 2015 Report Share Posted May 2, 2015 It's only against a VERY, very weak West Indies side. ie no Chris Gayle for starters. Against Australia............... England have no chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted May 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2015 Indeed. Score today ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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