England skipper Alastair Cook upbeat ahead of Pakistan test
Tuesday 29 September 2015 15:50, UK
Alastair Cook hopes England can take confidence from a successful summer when they face Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates.
England go into the three-Test series on the back of an Ashes series victory, with Cook hoping his young side can continue their progression, although they face a tough test in the UAE, where Pakistan, who have not played a Test series on home soil since 2009, are yet to taste defeat.
Indeed, they beat England 3-0 there in 2012, but Cook is in positive mood ahead of the opening Test, which begins on October 13.
"It has been a great side to play in and it clearly helps when you win the big moments. We're going to be tested again to see whether we can develop as a side in these conditions."
"I think you are seeing this side maturing over the past 18 months," he said in an interview on the ECB podcast. "There have been a lot of new faces in the England team and a lot of people who have taken their chance.
"Ben Stokes has been fantastic and Moeen Ali, in particular those two, alongside your slightly more established players like Joe Root who are really driving this younger English side forward.
"It has been a great side to play in and it clearly helps when you win the big moments. We're going to be tested again to see whether we can develop as a side in these conditions."
Cook has had a mixed time as skipper and entered the summer under huge pressure after a lean run with the bat, but feels he has emerged from that period a much stronger player and person.
"When you lose games of cricket it is never great," he added. "Over a period of time with affairs outside of cricket it became very hard. You kind of know what you are signing on to when you become captain.
"You have some incredible moments like at The Oval, Trent Bridge and Edgbaston but there are also a few dark moments as well.
"I'm proud of the way I've hung in there and now it is the next stage for me as a player and as a captain to try and keep going and going and improve with this side as long as we can."
James Anderson became England's leading wicket-taker during the tour of the West Indies earlier in the year and the Lancashire seamer echoed the views of his captain.
"I think it is probably the most exciting team I've been involved in since I've started playing for England," he said.
"The amount of talent there is in the dressing room is frightening really.
"Some of the guys like Stokes, Jos Buttler, Root, Mark Wood, what they could go on to achieve is quite scary because they are some of the most talented cricketers I've ever seen.
"It's great that us senior guys can be around and try and let them settle into their Test careers. It's a really exciting time."
The first Test against Pakistan takes place at Abu Dhabi's Zayed Cricket Stadium, with Tests at the Dubai Cricket Stadium and Sharjah Cricket Club to follow.
The Test series will be followed by a four-match one-day international series and concludes with three international Twenty20 fixtures.
