Joe Root Will Be An Outstanding Candidate As A Skipper: Alastair Cook
Apr 6, 2019 at 2:13 PM
After stepping down as England’s skipper Alastair Cook said his teammate Joe Root could become a significant candidate as a skipper as he is the best player in business for England to lead the side in the longer format of cricket.
Root, who’s ranked third in MRF ICC Test Rankings, is the hot favourite to replace Cook as England’s skipper.
According to a report, Cook’s Test successor is expected to get announced in coming days as England is scheduled to play Test series against South Africa, West Indies followed by the Ashes in the late quarter of 2017.
“I think he’ll be an outstanding candidate,” Cook stated.
The Gloucestershire-born Cook termed Root a fine cricketing ‘brain’ has scored 10 hundreds as a skipper in 59 Tests for England.
“He (Root) has got a very, very good cricket brain, he’s a part of the newer generation of cricketers and he’s a bloody good cricketer who demands respect in the dressing room because of that,” Cook said.
Since returning home after playing five-match Test series Cook eventually relinquished from Test captaincy this month after meeting England’s Director of Cricket and his former opening partner Strauss.
“It’s a valid argument (that his form could suffer) in one sense but it has driven the batting of others to another level,” Cook added on Root.
In 2012, the 32-year-old Cook became the successor of Andrew Strauss.
Under the captaincy of Cook, who’s the highest run-getter for England in Tests has lost eight Test in 2016 calendar year.
Since making his international debut in 2012 against India at Nagpur, Root has scored 4,594 runs in 53 Tests at an average of 52.80.
However, the cricket analysts have expressed Root’s role as a skipper could affect his batting form in the foreseeable future.
“Virat Kohli for example has flourished, (Australia’s) Steve Smith has flourished, (New Zealand’s) Kane Williamson as well,” Cook concluded.
English fast bowler James Anderson termed the Yorkshire-born Root as the ‘obvious’ choice for England.
“He’s [Root] a really impressive young man. He’s the obvious candidate. The decision is a big one because he’s our best player,” Anderson was quoted as saying by BBC.
Earlier, the speculations were doing rounds over social media that Root would become a skipper after Cook came under heavy criticism following team’s recent 4-0 hammering against India.
In 140 Tests, Cook has scored 11,057 runs at an average of 46.65. He has registered 30 centuries and 53 fifties since making his debut in 2006.