The Cook Report

[GuyFromLancs]

Going to sound and ungrateful so and so here because he’s accumulated scores of runs and statistically is England’s best blah blah blah but I’ve never been complately sold on Cook.

His average isn’t elite, and besides padded by scoring masses of runs when he personally is making hay. Of course he’s had some great moments , Ashes 2010 and in India a couple of years later (I actually think of him at his best playing on the subcontinent) but I’ve never been completely convinced in the past 12 years.

Fiddling around straight balls, nicking to off - then rescuing the stats with the odd huge score. This series summed up the worst of him, averaging 47 or so, with nearly all the runs coming in one innings of an inconsequential match.

I know how ungrateful I sound as we’re not blessed with a gluttony of class openers and haven’t been in my lifetime of watching the sport. But I find Cooky to one of the great frustrations of my era as an England fan.

 

[Cabinet96]

Tbh it's a bit of a myth that what he did this series and the West Indies series is what he's always done. The India series in 2011 is the only other example I can think of where he's been poor most series but got a huge score and come out with a decent average. He's just as regularly had the opposite issue. In the 2008 South Africa series he got 50 in every test but no centuries. His conversion rate has been quite terrible since mid 2013 but he's managed to stop his average completely falling away with regular contributions (up until four months ago). Just look at the link in my sig.

Yeah his average isn't elite, but among openers there aren't that many people with a significantly better one in the last couple of decades. And I imagine that average would be signficantly higher if he got to play half his tests in Australia (against non Australia sides) like Hayden did. Batting records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo

 

[fredfertang]

Cook's batting increasingly reminds me of my favourite left handed opener ever, Graeme 'Foxy' Fowler

 

[Coronis]

He's about in Boycott's league.

 

[oblongballs]

Going to sound and ungrateful so and so here because he’s accumulated scores of runs and statistically is England’s best blah blah blah but I’ve never been complately sold on Cook.

His average isn’t elite, and besides padded by scoring masses of runs when he personally is making hay. Of course he’s had some great moments , Ashes 2010 and in India a couple of years later (I actually think of him at his best playing on the subcontinent) but I’ve never been completely convinced in the past 12 years.

Fiddling around straight balls, nicking to off - then rescuing the stats with the odd huge score. This series summed up the worst of him, averaging 47 or so, with nearly all the runs coming in one innings of an inconsequential match.

I know how ungrateful I sound as we’re not blessed with a gluttony of class openers and haven’t been in my lifetime of watching the sport. But I find Cooky to one of the great frustrations of my era as an England fan.

Cook was, at one time, one of the very best batsmen going but I always had the impression he was at his best when Strauss was around and then later Trott and KP. Since those guys have left, Cook has not been the best at shouldering his responsibility and although he gets the big score (inflating his average series after series) he has been fairly inconsistent.

I agree that we should not be ungrateful and he has been a tremendous asset to the team but now is the time (along with Broad and possibly even Anderson) where he is no longer an automatic shoe in. Plus, the ECB has to start planning for the future. Yes new openers will come in and maybe not make an instant impact but give them a chance, allow them to adjust and not look for immediate results. English selection at its best was one the best and those with the most potential were selected, and then given a chance even through failure. The old were slowly faded out. Cook and Broad should not be regulars throughout the coming season.

 

[GuyFromLancs]

I think he'd have done better if partnered with an aggressive front footed kind of opener, instead of Strauss who had similar limitations. In fact is was Strauss who almost 10 years ago saved his career with a 170 against NZ

 

[TheJediBrah]

As far as his average not being "elite" goes, he opens in England, that's going to knock a few runs off your average.

He does have an issue with missing straight balls. A bit like Dravid maybe. This issue with his technique leads to a lot of straight balls (good ones, but not necessarily unplayable) looking like balls of the century.

 

[theegyptian]

Cook not an atg on the world level but when people look back at his career from an England perspective Australia 10/11 and India 2012 will be looked back on very favourably.

The only time England have won test series in India and Australia in the last 30+ years and Cook was player of the series in both.

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/en...6;spanval1=span;template=results;type=batting Runscorers since Cook debuted.

Lots of middle order bats who have considerably better averages. BUt not many openers. In fact there's Warner, Sehwag, Graeme Smith and Gayle who have similar records in that timeframe (although Sehwag and Smith's averages go up a little bit higher if you take from the start of their career).

 

[stephen]

Geez, Cook is the batsman I feared most from England other than KP.

Cook/Strauss is the best opening partnership England have had in my lifetime. It's bloody hard opening in England and Cook has done it for over a decade and ridiculously well at that. He's got some weaknesses and is more patchy than some but bloody hell he's been damn fine for a long time.

 

[Daemon]

I remember the days when we had like 10 different editions of the CWPL. Top few picks always used to be something like Kallis, Steyn, Trott, Cook, Sanga.

 

[Adders]

Honestly I don't think anyone can really fault Anderson's performances with the ball on the tour. He bowled very well even when conditions weren't in his favour.

Geez, Cook is the batsman I feared most from England other than KP.

Cook/Strauss is the best opening partnership England have had in my lifetime. It's bloody hard opening in England and Cook has done it for over a decade and ridiculously well at that. He's got some weaknesses and is more patchy than some but bloody hell he's been damn fine for a long time.

Ok seriously, who are you and what have you done with stephen??

 

[GIMH]

Cook was, at one time, one of the very best batsmen going but I always had the impression he was at his best when Strauss was around and then later Trott and KP. Since those guys have left, Cook has not been the best at shouldering his responsibility and although he gets the big score (inflating his average series after series) he has been fairly inconsistent.

I agree that we should not be ungrateful and he has been a tremendous asset to the team but now is the time (along with Broad and possibly even Anderson) where he is no longer an automatic shoe in. Plus, the ECB has to start planning for the future. Yes new openers will come in and maybe not make an instant impact but give them a chance, allow them to adjust and not look for immediate results. English selection at its best was one the best and those with the most potential were selected, and then given a chance even through failure. The old were slowly faded out. Cook and Broad should not be regulars throughout the coming season.

Given we’ve still not replaced Strauss, then yes Cook should be a regular for as long as he wants to be. I’m all for giving young talent a run, but two unproven players opening the batting does not fill me with confidence

 

[Cabinet96]

When at least one player other than Root gets within 10 runs of Cook's average in The Wheel of Mediocrity then we can debate the possibility of playing two non-Cook openers. Until then the idea is ridiculous.

 

[Cabinet96]

In fact, in England's last 13 test series, dating back till 2014, there's only been one instance of an England opener playing a full series and having a better series than Cook; Alex Halves v Sri Lanka in 2016 Batting records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo

 

[stephen]

Ok seriously, who are you and what have you done with stephen??

I'm feeling much more charitable now that the Ashes are where they belong .

In all seriousness I've rated Anderson for a long time. I thought he was a huge potential talent as far back as when he bowled against us in the 03 WC. I was genuine when I started the thread asking the question about whether he's fit into the Aussie side, nor because I don't rate Jimmy bit because I genuinely thought it was an interesting thought experiment. My timing was poor and I should have started it a week earlier.

I've rated Cook from the time he first got picked for England and his total domination of us in 10/11 cemented my fears.

 

[Adders]

I'm feeling much more charitable now that the Ashes are where they belong .

In all seriousness I've rated Anderson for a long time. I thought he was a huge potential talent as far back as when he bowled against us in the 03 WC. I was genuine when I started the thread asking the question about whether he's fit into the Aussie side, nor because I don't rate Jimmy bit because I genuinely thought it was an interesting thought experiment. My timing was poor and I should have started it a week earlier.

I've rated Cook from the time he first got picked for England and his total domination of us in 10/11 cemented my fears.

I think this post belongs in this thread...........it's like your dirty little secret that you've finally come clean on

 

[Adders]

Any talk of dropping Cook or even ragging on him is ridiculous. 100% he leaves on his own terms when he wants.......cos he is going to be a huge loss when he does go and sadly tbh my gut says it won't be too far away.

Pretty sure we'll never see the best of him consistently again, those days are gone, but fmd we've tried out just about every bat in the land since Strauss retired and with the exception of Root none of them have cut the mustard. We don't need to be filling another hole in the batting lineup right now.

 

[oblongballs]

Given we’ve still not replaced Strauss, then yes Cook should be a regular for as long as he wants to be. I’m all for giving young talent a run, but two unproven players opening the batting does not fill me with confidence

That is the exact attitude that needs to change. As a country of cricket fans ,we should urge our team/selectors/captains to take risks. Calculated risks of course. This means Cook should not play every test, let younger, newer players rotate in, see how they do, give them some matches. At times partner them with Cook, at time go in with a fresh pair. Playing teams like the Windies and Bangladesh at home should not be an excuse for senior players to top up their centuries columns, it should be a time to try out up and comers. Unless we try, we will never know.

Simply waiting for the time when Cook is so bad, or so old, that it is impossible to pick him...and then deciding to go with new batsmen is not a good idea. GUys in their early twenties and full of confident will, by that time, have been ground down by the lacklustre, dreary county system and not have the same international impact as they could if they had been younger.

I really believe we should take a leaf from the Asian sides and their use of younger talents. Sink or swim, if not, let's try someone else.

 

[Woodster]

Cook's weaknesses have highlighted time and again over the years, he is far from a flawless batsman yet he has churned out runs on a regular basis over the years. There has been many more talented batsmen than Cook that haven't had half the career he has. He knows his areas, he knows his limitations and tries to play within those boundaries. He has shown tremendous mental strength over the years in many ways, whether that is the powers of concentration in batting hour after hour (with all these weaknesses people are quick to point out), or finding the scores he's needed for his team or when his own position has come under serious scrutiny. He is limited, but his patience in waiting for the ball in his area has to be commended.

Let's not forget, he has played 82 of his 152 Test matches as an opening batsman in English conditions. He hasn't had the luxury of a Warner, or a Hayden, or a Sehwag, where the ball might do a bit briefly at the start before you can start hitting through the line.

 

[marc71178]

That is the exact attitude that needs to change. As a country of cricket fans ,we should urge our team/selectors/captains to take risks. Calculated risks of course. This means Cook should not play every test, let younger, newer players rotate in, see how they do, give them some matches. At times partner them with Cook, at time go in with a fresh pair. Playing teams like the Windies and Bangladesh at home should not be an excuse for senior players to top up their centuries columns, it should be a time to try out up and comers. Unless we try, we will never know.

Simply waiting for the time when Cook is so bad, or so old, that it is impossible to pick him...and then deciding to go with new batsmen is not a good idea. GUys in their early twenties and full of confident will, by that time, have been ground down by the lacklustre, dreary county system and not have the same international impact as they could if they had been younger.

I really believe we should take a leaf from the Asian sides and their use of younger talents. Sink or swim, if not, let's try someone else.

What a load of utter shite.

We can't even find 1 to partner him in a very specialist position, so the idea of leaving him out as well is at best stupid and worst, really ****ing dumb.