COOK HAS BEEN VINDICATED
Friday, February 17th, 2012Alastair Cook’s ability to lead the England Cricket Team in One day Internationals has been vindicated after the side managed to win the first match against Pakistan with a margin of 130 runs at the United Arab Emirates, after they were brushed aside in the test series, being whitewashed 3-0 by a side that was not given much of a chance ahead of the series against the number one Test playing nation in the world.
Cook’s ability to captain a side of the stature of England has come under immense scrutiny from time to time especially by many former cricketers. Ian Botham showed his dissatisfaction at the decision of the England and Wales Cricket Board or the ECB to appoint Cook as the captain of the One day International side last year.
He further added that Cook should be replaced by Stuart Broad, the captain of the England Cricket Team in Twenty 20 Internationals who was doing a much better job than Cook. Moreover, the 5-0 series loss to India in the subcontinent last October also did not help Cook’s cause much. But he is sure to see this win against Pakistan as vindication to all those comments on his ability to captain the side, especially since the win came after a 3-0 demolition in the Test series.
Alastair Cook also managed to let his bat do the talking with a score of 197 off 142 balls, his highest score in One day International cricket so far. Speaking in the post match press conference, Captain Cook added that it was important to get the win as a confidence booster for the side which had lost badly against the Pakistan side in the Test series and was looking forward to winning the ODI series for the England Cricket Team by leading them from the front.