Cook needs to rustle up the runs before he's Head Chef
Cricket 
/ Paul Moon / 29 December 2009 / Leave a comment Bet Now View Market
Cook clips one off his legs on his way to a fine century against South Africa but international captaincy is a whole new ball game
"A litmus test of Cook’s leadership qualities came in the second Twenty20 international against South Africa when an injury to Paul Collingwood allowed him to step up to the plate."
Paul Moon considers the merits of Alastair Cook as a future England captain and wonders who Andrew Strauss' long-term successor might be...
It is generally agreed that Andrew Strauss is due a well-earned break and will miss the two Test match tour of Bangladesh, from 29 February 2010 to 24 March 2010. The tour has been abstractly described as 'one of development in terms of playing on sub-continent wickets' but the reality is more likely to be that it is a chance to rest and freshen key players in preparation for bigger things to come. As a consequence this leaves the national side with a big dilemma regarding the stand-in captaincy.
Andy Flower sees the tour as an opportunity to blood his long-term successor but Alastair Cook's imminent nomination is disconcerting news for English cricket. This flawed appointment represents a wasted opportunity, negates advancement and jeopardises positive regeneration. One could call it "sleepwalking" but it could be worse than that.
Cook (24) does have attributes including determination and heart and has much to offer as a Test cricketer. His 118 against South Africa in the Second Test under huge pressure for his place was also an indication of his mental toughness and self-belief. However, visions of his choirboy character commanding the likes of Kevin Pietersen whilst cajoling Ian Bell, stretches the wildest imagination. Quite simply, he does not have the credentials to be a leader and this half-baked idea should be discarded!
In any case, despite his recent century, he has issues with his own game at the moment and the last thing he needs is the responsibility. After a bright start he has faltered significantly with experts saying that his opponents have worked him out. His technical difficulties regarding falling over at the crease and tentative footwork have been well documented and he has only scored two centuries in two years as a result. He would be better advised to work solely on his batting rather than occupy his mind with the burdens of the captaincy. It will be interesting to see how he copes on this current tour while he sorts his problems.
For the sake of development and continuation the next England captain must be able to play all forms of cricket and this unequivocally disqualifies Cook! It remains a mystery how he has played 23 ODIs (average of 30.52 without a single six), let alone participating in Twenty20 games. His strike rate of 68.16 for an opener is feeble in today's terms (even Ian Bell's scoring rate is 72.37) and the more astute aficionados universally agree that his character is at odds with urgency and the repertoire demanded.
A litmus test of Cook's leadership qualities came in the second Twenty20 international against South Africa when an injury to Paul Collingwood allowed him to step up to the plate. The net result was one hour 37 minutes of unprecedented carnage! England yielded 241 runs for six wickets, which was the second highest score in Twenty20 international cricket. Conceding 17 sixes was a record and at one time a score of 300 looked likely! Never has the phrase 'rabbit staring into headlights' been more apt. Whilst he was dazed, players queued to offer him advice, adding to the mass confusion!
So who should captain England in Bangladesh? There is only one alternative but it would require a huge helping of humble pie, a rebuilding of bridges and for the player to put his IPL ambitions (the tour overlaps the start of the IPL tournament) on hold. One thinks that is a step too far at this moment for Kevin Pietersen. It would be a major surprise if he were not one of those rested so that he can be appeased with an IPL jaunt!
There are no other obvious contenders or heir apparents within the present squad so should Strauss be rested for the Bangladesh tour then we have no option but to give the job temporarily to Collingwood. Not an inspiring choice but a safer pair of hands. All four players are currently involved in the 2nd Test against South Africa where latest Betfair prices show: South Africa [30.0] England [3.2] Draw [1.5].
