Alastair Cook’s form is not as bad as has been made out but England need him to start scoring hundreds again
George Dobell in Grenada20-Apr-20151:24
Dobell: England are the team under pressure
Let’s start with a quiz: which captain has led his side to victory in three of his last four Tests?And which batsman has, in that time, averaged 57.00 for the team?And who, in their last complete Test series, averaged 49.66?Alastair Cook is the answer to all three questions. But such is the pall hanging over England cricket, such is the mood following World Cup humiliation, Ashes annihilation and Kevin Pietersen’s excommunication, that it feels as if time is running out for Cook and the England coach, Peter Moores.The pair were not helped by the comments of Colin Graves ahead of this series. In suggesting West Indies were “mediocre” and implying that victory was an expectation, Graves not only motivated the hosts but poured entirely avoidable pressure on to his own squad.Meanwhile it emerged that the ECB had spoken to Michael Vaughan – a vocal critic of Moores, in particular – with a view to the new director of England cricket role. None of it suggests confidence in the current management team.And perhaps that is to be expected. England were woeful in the World Cup. But there needs to be a distinction made between England’s progress – or lack of it – in the limited-overs formats and in Test cricket. For while their white ball game remains dismal, there is much with which to be encouraged in the longest form.England have identified some of the brightest young prospects in the international game. In the likes of Joe Root, Gary Ballance, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali they have the core of a team that could serve them with distinction for at least half-a-dozen years.They just need time. But that seems to be the one resource the ECB, for all its millions, cannot find. Moores, in particular, knows that failure in this series – and even a workmanlike victory might not be perceived as success – will almost certainly cost him his job. It is an odd situation for a man who, in his first year in charge, has lost only two Tests.Alastair Cook knows there is pressure on him and Peter Moores to succeed in the Caribbean•Getty ImagesCook’s position is more complex. While there are a few people pushing for the role of opener – Nick Compton and Sam Robson might consider themselves somewhat unfortunate, but Adam Lyth is next in line – there are few obvious candidates for the captaincy. Root might be one option, though to burden him at this stage may blight the development of one of the brightest young batting talents in world cricket, so Ian Bell is probably the more realistic proposition. At county level, Bell has led unusually well.Cook’s form with the bat is perplexing. While his career record remains impressive – still aged just 30, he has 25 Test centuries and an average in excess of 45 – he has now gone 33 innings and almost two years since his last Test century, in May 2013. While judging a batsman simply on their century tally is somewhat simplistic and he currently looks far better in training – he looked awful throughout 2014 – he knows that means nothing until it is translated to runs.Since the start of the 2013 Ashes he averages only 28.84 in 18 Tests. Anyone else would have been dropped by now.Still, his improvement against India has convinced the England management that a corner has been turned. And there is probably some truth in the theory that the perception of his poor form in Test cricket is somewhat exaggerated by his extended poor form in ODI cricket. England need more from him, though.Cook admitted that, as he tried to rebuild his game in the early months of this year, he watched footage of his early matches for England. Games when the runs seemed to flow without the sometimes torturous thought that is required now. Games when the technique seemed more natural and less deliberate. Games when he had nothing to lose and played with joy and confidence.As he watched that footage, he tried to work out what he had done then that he was no longer doing. Or, more pertinently, what he was not doing then that he is doing now.He also returned to his long-time mentor, Graham Gooch. The pair devised a more open stance that seems to allow Cook more confidence as to where his off stump is and more balance when playing into the leg side. It looks better, but looking good has never been part of the Cook package: it’s all about runs and, as yet, there have not been enough.He snapped at questions about his form in the pre-match media conference – “That’s a pretty silly question,” he replied on one occasion – and reiterated his desire – “desperation” was his telling word – to return to prolific form. Some interpreted that as a sign of growing pressure; other as an honest answer from a decent man who understood as little as anyone why the most prolific batsman of his generation had suddenly lost his way.Cook’s captaincy has improved of late. He has been more imaginative, more positive and more certain of himself.But that was always going to be a detail. Cook is a “lead from the front” captain. He needs runs to underline his authority. He needs runs to help his side earn winning positions. He needs runs to save his job and the job of his coach. He needs runs.
