Series Won: Appraisal of Captain Cook

I started this summer questioning whether Alastair Cook was the right man to take over the captaincy of England’s One Day side.
 
So, after the conclusion of his first full series in the job, I thought it was only fair that I re-evaluate my decision, to confirm whether I was right to doubt him so?
 
Cook and his England side emerged from Saturdays 5th and deciding One Day International with Sri Lanka victorious, taking the series 3-2. Does this victory put to bed those doubts over Cook’s suitability as captain then, and are we any closer to settling on a winning formula in the One Day format? Or did England win due to some inconsistent Sri Lanka displays? Is the jury still out on Cook as captain?
 
Firstly it is only fair to say that Cooks own form with the bat was particularly good in this series. He ended up being the leading run scorer, with 298 runs scored at the quickest rate, 74.5 runs per match. He was also one of only three players to score a hundred, and was voted Man of the Series too. It would appear then that Cook is actually a very good opening batsman in One Day Cricket - contrary to popular belief!
 
In some respects it is difficult to judge just how effective Cook was at skippering the side here, due to the fact the first four games of the series were all so one sided. England won with ease the first and forth games as a result of some poor Sri Lankan batting, the latter a crushing ten wicket victory.
 
But England displayed batting frailties of their own, a common feature of their One Day performances in recent years, and this is something which Cook and Flower will have work on if England are to challenge the top teams in this format. There are still concerns with the batting lineup; Pietersen is well short of form and Bell does not look comfortable down the order. Some changes are required before England have a settled top six and can compete with the best sides around.
 
Cook did show strength of character, both in terms of his batting, refusing to buckle under the pressure when critics were claiming he was the wrong man for the job, and also in the selections he and coach Andy Flower made during this series.
 
Firstly they recalled Craig Kieswetter, which turned out to be a master stroke. He and Cook quickly established a strong partnership and in the forth game of the series smashed all sorts the records to reach 171-0 and win the game for England on their own. Kieswetter seems a more mature opening batsman now, allowing Cook to lead when on a roll, and the early signs of their partnership were very encouraging – a partnership England have struggled to fill over recent years.
 
Then there was the inclusion of Jade Dernbach. Dernbach has been in and around the squad for some time now, but he gave the attack a new dimension, he's tenacious and bowls quickly and with good variation: his slower ball is devilishly hard to spot or play.
 
Not only was he included from the start of the series, but he was retained when Cook wanted to play two spinners, showing that Cook had total faith in the player.
 
It also showed that Cook wasn't afraid to make and stand by big decisions. The inclusion of Patel, the second spinner, for the deciding match of the series resulted in established team mate and T20 captain Stuart Broad being dropped instead of the inexperienced Dernbach. The fact England won the match after such a big call vindicated Cooks decision completely.
 
It was also good to see that Cook wasn't afraid to take the batting power play early at times, another aspect of One Day Cricket England are have been overly cautious with in the past, and whilst he was quiet in the field, he seems to have all the players on his side, which is key.
 
I wondered if Cook was the right man for captain, but looking at the batting line-up, only Trott appears to be cemented in his place, all the others are either new in the side, out of form, or out of position in the line-up, and you couldn't make someone captain with any of those issues hanging around them. I mentioned Anderson in a previous blog as a potential captain, and he is probably the only bowler in contention given that Broad was dropped and Swann is getting on a bit, but it would be difficult to see him take the role on ahead of Cook. Sometimes the face just fits, and Cook has been next in line for some time now.
 
As it turns out though, he's started off rather well. He's scored the most runs at the quickest rate in this Sri Lanka series, whilst leading his side to victory over the same side that beat England by 10 wickets in this years’ World Cup. It's a great start!
 
Experience will only be gained out in the middle, if Cook continues in this vein England will be in good hands for some time to come.