Alastair Cook steps down as England captain

[Compton]

I don't think Cook was a bad captain per se, but I think he definitely had bad series.

He generally stuck to conventional fields, which I don't mind in itself, but particularly struggled to break through tough partnerships. He also relied on his better bowlers (Broad) bailing him out, and never seemed entirely sure when he was supposed to change bowlers.

Most of that criticism you could also lay at the feet of all other captains though, so I don't know.

I always thought that Cook - particularly later in his time as captain - was perfectly serviceable. His captaincy was unlikely to win games, but wouldn't lose them either. Certainly a poorer captain upto and including being Johnsoned down under - a sobering experience for anyone - then after it.

 

[Pothas]

If he was a more attacking batsman then I am pretty convinced we would have heard a lot less about him being a defensive captain.

 

[honestbharani]

Seen him mentioned in dispatches but if that is the case then Buttler has to come in and take the gloves.

I also saw someone in the media suggest Broad - the only way I can see that happening would be to keep Morgan in a white ball job (although I would argue Broad should be in the ODI side at least compared to the puss that is Liam Plunkett.

Root taking the captaincy could work best though as it stands to reason he becomes all format captain which means we can relieve Morgan of the middle order spot he's taking up at the moment.

He was your best batsman in the LO games in India.

 

[indiaholic]

If he was a more attacking batsman then I am pretty convinced we would have heard a lot less about him being a defensive captain.

Lol this. Have heard people complimenting Kohli as an aggressive captain which is just hilarious.

 

[Jono]

Ponting was accused of being defensive all the time, as was Dhoni. So...

 

[Jono]

On Cook's captaincy tenure, I actually think it was quite good overall. When you're captain for a long time you are bound to have massive ups and downs, with huge series wins and then shockers. The whole KP incident is a stain that it occurred during his tenure but it was more an ECB issue than a Cook issue. When you remove that, he won the Ashes at home and importantly had two great away victories vs. India and SA. With that comes the 5-0 spanking in Aust and 4-0 loss in India, but I think what is good about Cook is he didn't have a long period of poor results. He kept England pretty steady.

It's good that he has stepped down. Captaincy has an expiry date and he was in the seat a long time. He can now concentrate on continuing to be an excellent batsman but ultimately falling short of Sachin's test run tally like I've said he will for many years now.

I am excited about Root (hopefully) being made captain so the Fab 4 is therefore officially complete. Top 4 bats in the world, and all captains of their team. But I just hope the ECB thinks Root comes from the "right type of family" so he can therefore get the job.

 

[Jono]

Not a great captain, probably not even a good one but he also captained some very very ordinary sides. Great batsmen still, hope he can keep his place in the side as a bat for a number more years.

Which ones? He always had good players.

 

[GIMH]

There would have been no KP saga under Cook if he hadn't had the temerity to bring him back into the fold in the first place. Like you say Jono, can't really hold that against cook (unless you're piers Morgan)

 

[Fenil]

Ponting was accused of being defensive all the time, as was Dhoni. So...

Ponting had a legendary team while Dhoni had the batsmen who could give a fightback against any target posted by the opposition particularly at home. When the Dravids and the VVS went, the bad results of his defensive captaincy was quite evident since the new batsmen were just finding their feet in the test team and couldn't total up good runs. Cook has what? A team with no good spinners and about four batsmen? We saw him dependent on the same old Roots, Broads and of late Bairstow.

 

[Fenil]

There would have been no KP saga under Cook if he hadn't had the temerity to bring him back into the fold in the first place. Like you say Jono, can't really hold that against cook (unless you're piers Morgan)

Didn't the 'KP saga' happened when KP exchanged some texts when Strauss was captain?

 

[GIMH]

Part one yeah
Cook brought him book and then he got axed again, which id say is part two

 

[Fenil]

If he was a more attacking batsman then I am pretty convinced we would have heard a lot less about him being a defensive captain.

You might be correct on this but aggressive playing style doesn't define aggressive leadership since the game has seen the Brearleys and the Dravids who were defensive players but aggressive captains. I don't see Root taking up the charge even though he was the vice captain. Yes, he did get a lucky break during the India series when Cook went off the field for a bit where Root got an important wicket by bowling himself but the point is, he has never looked to charging up the team and stuff. I understand Cook was the captain but as a vice captain he should have been more vocal on the field. You just find him shining the ball all match long instead. Hopefully that will change if he is to become the captain.

 

[Jono]

There would have been no KP saga under Cook if he hadn't had the temerity to bring him back into the fold in the first place. Like you say Jono, can't really hold that against cook (unless you're piers Morgan)

Bringing him back = 2012 India win. I think Peter Miller noted that in an article today on Cook's captaincy.

 

[Jono]

Ponting had a legendary team while Dhoni had the batsmen who could give a fightback against any target posted by the opposition particularly at home. When the Dravids and the VVS went, the bad results of his defensive captaincy was quite evident since the new batsmen were just finding their feet in the test team and couldn't total up good runs. Cook has what? A team with no good spinners and about four batsmen? We saw him dependent on the same old Roots, Broads and of late Bairstow.

I think you missed my point.

People are saying Cook gets called a defensive captain because of his defensive batting, and Kohli gets called an aggressive captain because of his aggressive batting - i.e. a captain's batting style misleads fans into thinking they captain that way.

I am merely countering that by pointing out that Ponting and Dhoni cannot be called defensive batsmen yet were panned all the time for being defensive captains.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

LOL, I heard today that he earnt himself the nickname "craptain" at Yorkshire after his one and only stint at the job in County. Make of that what you will.

They lost a game on a featherbed at Lord's where Middlesex chased over 400 to win. It is a joke not serious.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Yeah, I'm not sure about the defensive batsman=>defensive captain complaint. People in general just have an irrational hard on for aggressive captaincy and an irrational hatred for defensive captaincy. Defensive tactics are just looked upon as inherently bad, which is silly. I don't think that Cook not being an attacking batsman necessarily feeds into the complaints about his leadership.

 

[Bijed]

I think you missed my point.

People are saying Cook gets called a defensive captain because of his defensive batting, and Kohli gets called an aggressive captain because of his aggressive batting - i.e. a captain's batting style misleads fans into thinking they captain that way.

I am merely countering that by pointing out that Ponting and Dhoni cannot be called defensive batsmen yet were panned all the time for being defensive captains.

You're right, but some people definitely conflate a player's batting style with their captaincy to varying extents

 

[Howe_zat]

Ponting was accused of being defensive all the time, as was Dhoni. So...

Dhoni actually was defensive and was still praised as being attacking for no reason though. Unless 'being not English' is enough reason to call someone attacking, which in many cases it is. He was the first one I thought of

http://www.cricketweb.net/forum/cricket-chat/52350-vaughan-strauss-dhoni.html

Edit: Precient from PEWS

Aggressive doesn't always equate to good, though. There's no doubt Dhoni is on the defensive side as a captain, but sometimes that's what's needed. The fact that it works doesn't mean it's aggressive.

aka the Warne Commentary fallacy

 

[OverratedSanity]

Haha but Vaughan's a moron. Dhoni gets tons of hate from even some of the casual fans in India for being far to defensive.

 

[Zinzan]

Right move imo, has done merely okay as skipper & i think he'll add more to the team concentrating on scoring runs with the bat.