Former England opener Sir Alastair Cook believes there is still room for a conventional player like himself in England’s current team. Cook has been the best batter for England in terms of runs in Test cricket, scoring 12,472 runs at an average of 45.35. However, his strike rate of 47 is far from England’s current approach to Test cricket.
Since the arrival of Brendan McCullum as England’s head coach, the Three Lions have adhered to a more attacking brand of cricket. England captain Ben Stokes had last year said he would not prefer a batter such as Cook in the present England team even if he was available.
“In this day and age and while I’m captain and Baz is coach that is not something we’re looking for,” Stokes had said.
However, Cook believes anyone making enough runs in county cricket should get a look in in the England Test team irrespective of the pace they score runs.
“Ultimately, volume of runs makes a big impact. If you go back to when I first started as a 21-year-old, I scored quite a lot of runs to force my way in. And if a 20, 21-year-old does that there’s something about him. The selectors will definitely look at it,” Cook said.
Cook also backed England’s batters to attack India’s spinners in the remaining four Tests.
“This England side and the talent they have in that batting line-up, it could be one of four or five who could play an innings like that,” the former captain said. “It will give England a lot of confidence.”
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