Alastair Cook reveals he was on the brink of quitting captaincy

Apr 6, 2019 at 2:17 PM

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Alastair Cook reveals he was on the brink of quitting captaincy

England Test skipper Alastair Cook over the years has become one of the most recognized captains of English cricket. He has won the Ashes at home, Test series in South Africa and in India. He is also the first England cricketer to score more than 10000 Test runs.

He is now admired and well respected. But a disastrous defeat to Australia in 2013 Ashes and his exclusion from the 2015 World Cup squad made him hapless and made him contemplate to quit the captaincy.

After England’s disastrous World Cup campaign, Cook led the England Test team in the West Indies, where he was not even sure about his own career.

Alastair Cook said, “I’ve lived on the edge for quite a number of years as a captain in terms of wanting to jack it in and questions about the job.

“There were times when I thought I’d go, for sure.

“I spoke to my wife, Alice, about packing in. I’d rather not say exactly when but I’ve got them written down.

“I don’t like talking about it because you end up doubting yourself. But, yes, I was very close to going at the end of The Ashes last year.

“Halfway through the New Zealand series at the start of last summer, I said to myself The Ashes would be my last series as captain.

“If someone said that I’d win The Ashes and quit as captain, I’d have taken that. What a good way to go, 100 percent I’d have taken it.

“But we won two Tests in ten days at Edgbaston and Trent Bridge and I woke up the next day and thought, ‘This side has so much potential and I still want to be part of it’.

“Now I think it would be good for me to try to win in Australia in 2017-18, especially after what happened last time (England were whitewashed 5-0 in 2013-14).

“But everything could still change. At the moment, I’m going on how the team is responding to me as a leader. Maybe people will get sick of the same stuff.

“If I feel the team is getting a bit stale, bored with me and the next generation is pushing on, then it will be time to go.

“Right now, the players are responding and we’re pushing on together and trying new things.”

Cook was frustrated with the England dressing room scenario as Kevin Pietersen  saga made him a villain and he was gutted. However, Cook didn’t want to identify in which phase he was actually on the brink of resignation.

Cook has since recovered from those disastrous time and now enjoying cricket. With Trevor Bayliss being appointed as the coach in 2015 England are now enjoying cricket as possibly they have found their golden generation in Test and limited-overs cricket.

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