The England captain’s eyes widen and he leans back in mock
terror. Few deliveries can get this reaction from one of cricket’s most calm,
composed opening batsmen.
But a question starting: ‘We want to ask you about something
you said…’ does.
Before spring’s Test series against the West Indies, Colin Graves,
the new ECB chairman, described the Windies team as “mediocre”. When asked
about that post-series, Alastair Cook
replied: “That’s a Yorkshireman for you – they’re quite happy to talk a good
game.” Yikes. Was Cook living out a dream we all have by giving his boss a rap
across the knuckles?
“No!” he says. “I did mean it as a bit of a joke. I was
asked a very direct question: ‘Do you think it gave them a team talk?’ That’s
very hard because Colin Graves is our boss and I respect that. So I was trying
to make it a bit light-hearted and it probably didn’t come across quite the way
I wanted – which happens, I suppose, with me. So I did apologise. I was trying
to be a bit tongue-in-cheek; to take some of the heat out of the original
question.”
As Sport catches up with the 30-year-old Cook on a sunny day at Lord’s, he’s cheery and charming. He even brings up Kevin Pietersen – a name many of his teammates avoid like the plague, lest their words be turned into a headline.
Yet Cook saying: “It probably didn’t come across as quite
the way I wanted” strikes a chord. It seems his fate to be misunderstood.
England cricket fans often lavish attention on a
Pietersen or a Freddie Flintoff type: charismatic, half-brash, half-insecure,
talismanic talents. Yet it’s Cook who more accurately represents the very best
that England can offer. Dependable, steady, steely, loyal, self-effacing, if
occasionally tongue-tied.
He’s also brilliant, in a quietly determined way. The jury
is still out on how good he is as Test captain (results this summer will give a
strong indicator on his future). But he’s a super batsman and, from Sport’s
experience, a pretty super man, too. That doesn’t mean he deserves to be exempt
from criticism, but it is a good reason why we should all show Cook a bit of
love this summer.
Did you have keen cricketers in the family growing up?
“My dad played for Great Totham Village [in Essex] – and was a good, left-handed opening bat. So obviously he played in the garden. My mum used to go and do the score and stuff for Dad, so we were quite a sporty family. I’ve always just been around sport, really.”
“My dad played for Great Totham Village [in Essex] – and was a good, left-handed opening bat. So obviously he played in the garden. My mum used to go and do the score and stuff for Dad, so we were quite a sporty family. I’ve always just been around sport, really.”
What’s your earliest memory of watching international
cricket?
“Graham Gooch’s 333 here [against India, at Lord’s] in 1990. I would have been about five. I was playing in the garden and when he got close to a milestone, I’d come in and watch. He was on 299 at tea – but then they went to the horse racing instead, so we didn’t actually see his 300 moment. I was genuinely gutted!”
“Graham Gooch’s 333 here [against India, at Lord’s] in 1990. I would have been about five. I was playing in the garden and when he got close to a milestone, I’d come in and watch. He was on 299 at tea – but then they went to the horse racing instead, so we didn’t actually see his 300 moment. I was genuinely gutted!”
You’ve batted well in 2015 after some up and down
years. What’s the reason for your upturn in form?
“I’ve had January, February and March off from playing pressurised cricket. I went away and started working on my game with Goochy and with a new guy, Gary Palmer. It’s worked really well. When you’re batting well, you’re actually not really thinking about it. Batting is like a bar of soap. When you hold a bar of soap, the harder you squeeze it, the quicker it pops out. So I tweaked a few little things, but have gone back to basics quite a lot with Gary and with Goochy. Also, you don’t get anywhere without hard work. So it’s a bit technical. But, mentally, I feel a bit fresher because I haven’t played quite as much cricket, which definitely helps.”
“I’ve had January, February and March off from playing pressurised cricket. I went away and started working on my game with Goochy and with a new guy, Gary Palmer. It’s worked really well. When you’re batting well, you’re actually not really thinking about it. Batting is like a bar of soap. When you hold a bar of soap, the harder you squeeze it, the quicker it pops out. So I tweaked a few little things, but have gone back to basics quite a lot with Gary and with Goochy. Also, you don’t get anywhere without hard work. So it’s a bit technical. But, mentally, I feel a bit fresher because I haven’t played quite as much cricket, which definitely helps.”
At Headingley against New Zealand, you went past Gooch’s
England record for Test runs. Has that sunk in yet?
“No, I don’t think it’s ever going to hit me if I’m being brutally honest. It’s kind of unbelievable, but very special. As a player, you’re always looking at the next challenge: wanting to score more runs, get to 30 hundreds, all that kind of stuff.”
“No, I don’t think it’s ever going to hit me if I’m being brutally honest. It’s kind of unbelievable, but very special. As a player, you’re always looking at the next challenge: wanting to score more runs, get to 30 hundreds, all that kind of stuff.”
Are there any moments that stand out in the aftermath?
“I got a lot of text messages from friends, family and Goochy as well. I’ve had incredible support throughout my career, from the people who matter most. That’s kind of who you do it for, in the end. When they say: ‘We’re really proud of you,’ it means a lot. For Alice [Cook] to be there – there’s a really nice picture of her and Chantal Bell [Ian Bell’s wife] clapping with massive smiles on their faces. You think: ‘Actually they – well, especially Alice – share the journey pretty closely with me.’”
Does Alice watch a lot of cricket or does she, erm, tune
out?
“She definitely watches. You need support like that, really. Sometimes you need a few home truths spoken to you – but most of the time you need the support. She’s been fantastic. Just like my mum and dad, my friends and my in-laws and their family. There have been some fairly tough moments, but they’ve been pretty good at getting me through them.”
“She definitely watches. You need support like that, really. Sometimes you need a few home truths spoken to you – but most of the time you need the support. She’s been fantastic. Just like my mum and dad, my friends and my in-laws and their family. There have been some fairly tough moments, but they’ve been pretty good at getting me through them.”
What’s been the toughest moment?
“Last summer, when we lost to Sri Lanka and lost the first Test to India. Obviously all the stuff going on with Kevin Pietersen and that affair was having an effect on me, absolutely. But to lose that Test series to Sri Lanka the way we did – and the amount of criticism I got – was hard. Justified, a lot of it, because when you lose you get criticism. So to turn that around [and beat India 3-1] was to the team’s huge credit.”
“Last summer, when we lost to Sri Lanka and lost the first Test to India. Obviously all the stuff going on with Kevin Pietersen and that affair was having an effect on me, absolutely. But to lose that Test series to Sri Lanka the way we did – and the amount of criticism I got – was hard. Justified, a lot of it, because when you lose you get criticism. So to turn that around [and beat India 3-1] was to the team’s huge credit.”
Has becoming a father had an impact on your cricket in any
way?
“It’s certainly impacted on me. You’ve got something that is yours, you’ve kind of created – and you’ve got this amazing bond with a thing that can’t even talk to you yet. She’s just now starting to communicate. But everyone knows when you become a parent, it’s a very special moment. I was never really surrounded by kids [growing up], so I’d rather stroke the dog than pick up someone else’s baby. But when it’s your own, you suddenly appreciate how incredible it is.”
“It’s certainly impacted on me. You’ve got something that is yours, you’ve kind of created – and you’ve got this amazing bond with a thing that can’t even talk to you yet. She’s just now starting to communicate. But everyone knows when you become a parent, it’s a very special moment. I was never really surrounded by kids [growing up], so I’d rather stroke the dog than pick up someone else’s baby. But when it’s your own, you suddenly appreciate how incredible it is.”
We imagine being England captain and being a dad takes up a lot of time. Do you still have time to go for a pint?
“You can – I’m very lucky. I’ve got a very understanding wife, who lets me go for a drink. But you’re away a lot as a cricketer. Obviously I’m not going to see Elsie for a few days now. So when you do get home, you do want to see her: do the bath and put her to bed and that sort of stuff.”
Everyone praises your mental strength and resilience. Where
does that come from?
“I’m stubborn. There’s only one person more stubborn than me, and that’s Graeme Swann. So when we got in an argument, it would never end. But I honestly don’t know. I’m very lucky to have that. Everyone has determination, but I’ve been able to then transfer that into my game and use it well, which has obviously helped me. The self-belief in my method: determined, stubborn – whatever you want to call it, it’s true. But I suppose that’s probably where my natural talent lies rather than actually being the free-flowing stroke player. Some of the shots that other people play, you think: ‘Wow, I can’t do that.’ But my talent is probably more hidden inside my mind than anything else.”
“I’m stubborn. There’s only one person more stubborn than me, and that’s Graeme Swann. So when we got in an argument, it would never end. But I honestly don’t know. I’m very lucky to have that. Everyone has determination, but I’ve been able to then transfer that into my game and use it well, which has obviously helped me. The self-belief in my method: determined, stubborn – whatever you want to call it, it’s true. But I suppose that’s probably where my natural talent lies rather than actually being the free-flowing stroke player. Some of the shots that other people play, you think: ‘Wow, I can’t do that.’ But my talent is probably more hidden inside my mind than anything else.”
What do you know now about being England Test captain that
you didn’t know when you took the job in 2012?
“To expect the unexpected. You get tested in so many different ways... it would be great if you could captain your county side for three or four years before, because that would give you a real understanding of captaincy. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen any more, so that’s what makes it tough. Learning on the job as an international captain is hard.”
“To expect the unexpected. You get tested in so many different ways... it would be great if you could captain your county side for three or four years before, because that would give you a real understanding of captaincy. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen any more, so that’s what makes it tough. Learning on the job as an international captain is hard.”
The England dressing room has a lot of experienced players
and some guys who have played only a few Tests. Is there, in a way, two camps?
“I know what you mean. There’s not two camps, no. There isn’t… but probably more so a year ago, actually, there were guys who had 100 games and guys with no games. There wasn’t a divide, but there was a big split just because of experience – and now those new guys have found their feet and their own path. And I think that’s important. “But I’m quite proud of how our dressing room has been over the past 15 months, in the tough times. People have been able to come out and express themselves out in the middle. Jos Buttler in particular, Ben Stokes now, Joe Root has been a superstar. There has to be a good environment for them to go out and perform as they have done, and that’s what I can take from it. I feel very proud that the dressing room has allowed that.”
“I know what you mean. There’s not two camps, no. There isn’t… but probably more so a year ago, actually, there were guys who had 100 games and guys with no games. There wasn’t a divide, but there was a big split just because of experience – and now those new guys have found their feet and their own path. And I think that’s important. “But I’m quite proud of how our dressing room has been over the past 15 months, in the tough times. People have been able to come out and express themselves out in the middle. Jos Buttler in particular, Ben Stokes now, Joe Root has been a superstar. There has to be a good environment for them to go out and perform as they have done, and that’s what I can take from it. I feel very proud that the dressing room has allowed that.”
Will England look to play the same attacking cricket we saw against New Zealand when you play Australia over the summer?
“The idea is that you have to be authentic to your own style. When we were 30/4 and up against it [in the first Test against New Zealand], Joe Root and Ben Stokes played the way they can play. They scored at more than six runs an over. Fantastic stuff – a real counter-attack. That really lit the summer up – and everything has kind of flown from there. I think we’re a better side when we’re trying to get on the front foot.”
Australia have a strong fast-bowling attack. What’s the key
as a batsman when you’re facing real, hostile pace?
“The danger is, because they’re bowling quickly, you have bigger trigger movements – so you’re off balance when you need to be more on balance. The adrenaline gets you going, so you have bigger movements, which means you have further to move and you have less time [to react]. It’s just a case of staying composed. We’ve all faced quick bowlers before. The trick is, when it’s their time, try and get through it. They have fresh spells, but the second, third and fourth spells are never quite as quick.”
“The danger is, because they’re bowling quickly, you have bigger trigger movements – so you’re off balance when you need to be more on balance. The adrenaline gets you going, so you have bigger movements, which means you have further to move and you have less time [to react]. It’s just a case of staying composed. We’ve all faced quick bowlers before. The trick is, when it’s their time, try and get through it. They have fresh spells, but the second, third and fourth spells are never quite as quick.”
You have two bowlers in Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad who have taken a lot of Test
wickets. What do you think of the next generation of England bowlers?
“There’s a lot of talent in this country. The only thing is, it takes a little bit of time to get used to international cricket. Look at Jimmy – he’s taken more than 400 Test wickets. But, in his first five years of international cricket, he was in and out of the team. He wasn’t so sure about his action and all that sort of stuff. When he came back in 2008, almost five years after his debut, he knew himself and how to bowl. So it does take time to become a seasoned international cricketer. But Chris Jordan is a fantastic young bowler, Mark Wood really exciting, David Willey is coming along in the one-dayers. I’m excited by the talent here.”
“There’s a lot of talent in this country. The only thing is, it takes a little bit of time to get used to international cricket. Look at Jimmy – he’s taken more than 400 Test wickets. But, in his first five years of international cricket, he was in and out of the team. He wasn’t so sure about his action and all that sort of stuff. When he came back in 2008, almost five years after his debut, he knew himself and how to bowl. So it does take time to become a seasoned international cricketer. But Chris Jordan is a fantastic young bowler, Mark Wood really exciting, David Willey is coming along in the one-dayers. I’m excited by the talent here.”
Is there bad blood between the current England and Australia
teams?
“The last time we played against each other, to play ten [successive] Test matches against any group of players in such a short space of time – obviously a few things towards the end got a little bit tiresome, purely because of the amount of cricket. But I believe we can play this series in a brilliant spirit and do cricket proud.”
“The last time we played against each other, to play ten [successive] Test matches against any group of players in such a short space of time – obviously a few things towards the end got a little bit tiresome, purely because of the amount of cricket. But I believe we can play this series in a brilliant spirit and do cricket proud.”
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