Cook - ODI Talk

Alastair Cook may not be the most imposing player to bowl against in an ODI match, however it’s always been an English trend to have the ODI captain who is predominantly a Test Cricketer and a much stronger Test cricketer than he is a one day cricketer. As specialist captains. As not natural one day players. As players who wouldn’t be in the team had they not been captain, players who are almost captain only in name when it comes to the one day stuff – Atherton, Hussain, Vaughan, Strauss and now Cook, but I believe compared to them, at least Cook is a little more natural. He can cut and pull productively and even has a Twenty20 century for Essex.

It wasn’t that long when people were suggesting he should even be in the Twenty20 side, after he scored 3 ODI tons in 2012, a year where England didn’t lose an ODI series.

I watched those back to back ODI centuries he got against Pakistan in the February of 2012, and that was some of the best one day batting I have seen from an Englishmen as he led the team to a thumping and surprising 4-0 win over Pakistan in the UAE, a potent bowling attack back then, especially with the white ball. He returned the compliment after England were whitewashed 3-0 in the Tests under Strauss.

Champions Trophy Finalists 2013

ODI number 1 ranked 2012

Most ODI wins by an England captain

Won more series than he has lost

Won more matches than he has lost

England unbeaten from 2010-2012 in ODI series at home

Beaten or drawn against all major teams in ODI series under him

Won 10 consecutive ODIs in 2012

The last time an Essex man led in Australia, England reached the final

Back him…