Alastair Cook Should Step Down If He’s Taking Captaincy ‘For Granted’, Says Nasser Hussain
Dec 14, 2016 at 6:39 PM
Former England captain Nasser Hussain has urged current national side Test skipper Alastair Cook to step down immediately if he’s taking the job ‘for granted’.
“If he still feels the same way he did when he started, if every defeat hurts him as much now as it did then, I believe he should carry on,” Nasser Hussain wrote in the Daily Mail.
The 48-year-old cricketer-turned-commentator Nasser also suggested that left-handed opening batsman can hand over the captaincy to the England’s promising prospect Joe Root, who looks perfect candidate for the national duty.
“But if any part of him feels as if he’s taking the job for granted, then he should have a serious think about handing it over to Joe Root. It’s not a job you do lightly,” said Nasser.
Soon after the Mumbai Test, Cook admitted that playing only two specialist spinners at Wankhade was a mistake.
Cook and English head coach Trevor Bayliss were quizzed about teams’ performance and whether he [Cook] wanted to continue as a skipper for his national side.
“You start having questions, of course, you do. I think Joe Root is ready to captain England. He’s ready because he’s a clued-up guy, he’s got the respect of everyone in the changing room,” Cook said.
However, Cook, the exquisite timer of the ball has played down the speculations of stepping down as a skipper, before the start of ongoing Test series.
Cook is the first player to score 10,000 Test runs for England and has led his side in 58 Tests; the record-breaking term seems likely to continue as he has settled himself well on the throne.
“He [Joe] hasn’t got much captaincy experience but that doesn’t mean he can’t be a very good captain,” Cook added.
In 2014, England had won their last series against India 3-1, before going down 3-0 in the ongoing 5-match Test series.
The fifth and final Test match is scheduled at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, starting December 16 and Virat Kohli led side would like to pile on more misery on visitors.