Alastair Cook to consider future as England Test captain
Tuesday 20 December 2016 13:56, UK
Alastair Cook says he will consider his position as England Test captain in the wake of his side's 4-0 defeat to India.
Cook, 31, said he would not be rushed into a decision about his future after England imploded in Chennai to lose the fifth and final Test by an innings and 75 runs.
Asked if he is still the right man to lead the Test side, Cook told Sky Sports: "This is not the place to be asking me these questions.
"I've got to go away and do some thinking; get back home and do it without the emotive side of what's happened over the last nine weeks."
England assistant coach Paul Farbrace added: "The respect that Cook has in the team and the fact that the team are very much behind him, speaks volumes about him as a bloke and a captain.
"It will be his decision with Andrew Strauss and Trevor Bayliss - they'll have that conversation.
"I think he'll probably need a few days to clear his head. But Cooky will do the right thing for the England cricket team. He always has done and he always will do and he's been an excellent leader. We hope he continues but ultimately it's his decision."
Asked if, given England's eight defeats in the year, the decision could be taken out of Cook's hands Farbrace replied: "The thing that we've been talking about within our small management group with Strauss is the fact that we are working towards the Ashes series - and in those plans Cooky is in those plans to be the captain of our side.
"Nothing that has happened in this series will change our minds in terms of him being the right person to lead the England cricket team but, as I say, after every series we sit and chat about the way forward."
Appointed skipper in 2012, Cook broke Michael Atherton's record of 54 Tests as captain in the first match of the series, finishing on 59.
Under his leadership, England have won home Ashes series in 2013 and 2015 but suffered a 5-0 whitewash in Australia in 2013-14.
Cook, England's leading Test run-scorer of all time, struck 49 on the final day of the series to take his overall career tally to 11,062.
Cook's record since taking over from Andrew Strauss:
v India, 2012/13 - Won 2-1
v New Zealand 2012/13 - Drew 0-0
v New Zealand 2013 - Won 2-0
v Australia 2013 - Won 3-1
v Australia 2013/14 - Lost 5-0
v Sri Lanka 2014 - Lost 1-0
v India 2014 - Won 3-1
v West Indies 2014/15 - Drew 1-1
v New Zealand 2015 - Drew 1-1
v Australia 2015 - Won 3-2
v Pakistan 2015/16 - Lost 2-0
v South Africa 2015/16 - Won 2-1
v Sri Lanka 2016 - Won 2-0
v Pakistan 2016 - Drew 2-2
v Bangladesh 2016/17 - Drew 1-1
v India 2016/17 - Lost 4-0
Watch highlights of the fifth and final day of the fifth Test between India and England live on Sky Sports 2 at 2pm, followed by our series review in The Verdict at 3pm on the same channel.
