Alaistair Cook Watch - Has the End begun?

[sandeep]

I have been thinking this since the India-England series recently.  Cook has started to show signs of age.   Sure he got that 100 on the dead track at Rajkot.  Yes, he got a nice fat double hundred against the West Indies, but watching him bat during the India series, I was left wondering how much this guy has left in the tank.  

 

Here are his stats since December 2015.   Sure, at first glance, an average of 41 doesn't seem bad at all.  But if you take a closer look, you will see that almost 60% of the time, Cook falls after scoring less than his average. A staggering 56% of the time, Cook has failed to cross 30 runs - 27 out of 48 innings.  If you look at the recent series against the West Indies, take away his one big innings, and he managed only 61 runs in 4 innings.  Against the West Indies.  That's an average of 15.  Not exactly numbers that inspire a lot of confidence.  These numbers remind me of Younis Khan over the last couple of years, a steady stream of failures followed by one big innings that pushes his overall average back to respectability.  An average of 36 against India, and 33 against South Africa got a healthy boost thanks to a mammoth 240+ score piled up against the hapless West Indies.  

 

But forget the numbers.  I looked his numbers up to check whether there was any statistical support to what I felt when I watch him bat.  The guy's reflexes have slowed down, and he is troubled by pace now, especially early in his innings.  Shami made him distinctly uncomfortable in the India series.  He has started dropping gettable catches in the slip regularly as well.  

 

The upcoming Ashes will be make-or-break for Alistair Cook.  Either he somehow manages to find a second wind on the concrete roads of Australia, and that will mean that he will be able to play for at least a couple of years.  OR, it could turn ugly.  And fast.  Pat Cummins is one guy I think who can really be difficult to handle for Cook, provided he's fit.  But in general, the Aussie attack is quick enough across the board, to ask some challenging questions to Cook. 

 

For England fans, Cook's potential decline should be a serious cause for concern, given the general disarray in their top 5.   The likes of Stoneman, Westley, Malan wouldn't make me feel too comfortable about my team's chances.  Especially if the anchor that the entire unit bats around starts to slump.   For this reason alone, I felt that the England selectors should have tried and gotten Hameed into the mix of things for the West Indies series.   Instead of giving in to "conventional wisdom" about not risking his future, they should have given him the opportunity to get some international runs under his belt before the Ashes.  This way they would have a bit of insurance in place, if Cook keeps getting out cheaply at the top, more often than not.  The likes of Root, Stokes, Bairstow and Ali, are good bats, but not the type to excel in the anchor role.  Having Hameed in the mix would only help.  

 

@Stumped @YCCC

 

 

Edited September 9, 2017 by sandeep

[GolGappe]

Ashes will be very difficult for English batsmen if Australia can keep Starc, Cummings, Hazelwood, and Pattinson fit.

Pakistan in early May-June won't be cakewalk either. Stern test lies ahead for Cook. Hopefully, India puts up a bit of a challenge in late English summer next year and don't let Cooks/Roots/Stokes pad up their averages with mighty hundreds.

[goose]

the 'end' will be postponed if the horrible run of failed opening partners carries on making him look indispensable.

[sandeep]

Selective stats?. These are his last 48 innings, both home and away.  When your test opener fails to cross 25 more than half the time he goes out to bat, there's a problem there amigo.  

[maniac]

Ashes is usually where careers end or turn around...I think he is a big enough name to play throughout the Ashes whatever his form may be...if he fails than game over but if he does well then I will place a bet right now that he will play long enough to get those 4000 odd runs that he needs to overtake Sachin...he is still only 32...plays only one format.fitness standards have improved all over the world..so say 6-7 years that is what about 600 runs per year...so yeah,all depends on the Ashes but if he fails than GAME OVER

[sandeep]

3 hours ago, goose said:

the 'end' will be postponed if the horrible run of failed opening partners carries on making him look indispensable.

That's what is happening right now.  The second owner has been so bad, that Cook's slow decline has been a bit under the radar.     

 

I would be happy to see Cook trudge along and stay in the team until next summer.  I think the Indian team will be well placed to send him off on his way.  

Edited September 9, 2017 by sandeep

[Laaloo]

[rkt.india]

After he will SRT's record

[gattaca]

8 hours ago, maniac said:

Ashes is usually where careers end or turn around...I think he is a big enough name to play throughout the Ashes whatever his form may be...if he fails than game over but if he does well then I will place a bet right now that he will play long enough to get those 4000 odd runs that he needs to overtake Sachin...he is still only 32...plays only one format.fitness standards have improved all over the world..so say 6-7 years that is what about 600 runs per year...so yeah,all depends on the Ashes but if he fails than GAME OVER

He had a bad ashes when Mitchell Johnson was bowling those fast deliveries. The other opener carberry(African descent) played better than cook but he was dropped after ashes. It was strange.

Edited September 10, 2017 by gattaca

[sandeep]

8 hours ago, gattaca said:

He had a bad ashes when Mitchell Johnson was bowling those fast deliveries. The other opener carberry(African descent) played better than cook but he was dropped after ashes. It was strange.

And then IIRC when Carberry had the balls to speak out against the unfairness, he was pushed deeper into the sidelines.   

[YCCC]

Not a lot to add really. He's been well past his best for years but England still need him to shore up a flaky batting line up (but this is often a bit like putting a few sandbags down to stop Irma's storm surges). 

 

On another note, his availability has done wonders for Essex. Not just with his runs, but inspiring the rest of their team.

[gattaca]

8 hours ago, sandeep said:

And then IIRC when Carberry had the balls to speak out against the unfairness, he was pushed deeper into the sidelines.   

They wanted scape goats and found carberry and KP.  Indian fans complain so much about dhoni and selectors. If I were English fan I would be mad at this than all the things about our setup. Cook is well done.

Edited September 10, 2017 by gattaca

[Gollum]

Will be ironic if we end his career in 2018 after what all he has done to us since his debut in Nagpur. 6-7 100s in India including that 3 ton series in 2012 and 294 in 2011. India has been his favorite punching bag over the years.

[gakgupta]

There are 2 reasons for bad phase

1) Lack of form

2) Decrease in natural Instincts 

 

If this lack of form, then he may come back strongly but i think otherwise.....his instincts are fading away and he will be soon history .....We have seen same with Ponting, Lara and others...

 

Well he may survive for 2 to 3 years and make some runs with media-core teams on some friendly pitches ....but his best years are behind him

 

 

Edited September 11, 2017 by gakgupta

[putrevus]

I don't think he will stick around like Sachin who just for the sake of some meaningless record stuck around even though he was stinking up every where he played since 2011 world cup.

[mishra]

So is to Team England. I think ground staff of Lords won the game for England in first inning by keeping the outfield wet and hence completely neutralizing the Windies swing. Did same in second inning too. But for me, first inning was game changer

[sandeep]

5 minutes ago, mishra said:

I think ground staff of Lords won the game for England in first inning by keeping the outfield wet and hence completely neutralizing the Windies swing.

Any proof of this.   

[sandeep]

8 hours ago, Gollum said:

Will be ironic if we end his career in 2018 after what all he has done to us since his debut in Nagpur. 6-7 100s in India including that 3 ton series in 2012 and 294 in 2011. India has been his favorite punching bag over the years.

He was brilliant for them in that "pungi" series that blew up in our faces.   If we hadn't dropped him early on in that tour to England in 2014, it would have been a very different series for Cook and for Team India.

[mishra]

40 minutes ago, sandeep said:

Any proof of this.   

They dont show it on tele, But visit any game test match. Watch how ground staff is carefull it drieng outfield when English are bowling but never do the same when opposition are bowling. It just gives 45min-1 hrs of non swinging ball.

 

And that is root cause when visitors dont get the swing despite overcast condition while English bowlers get banana swings.

 

So next time, Dont blame Shamis and Bhuvis for ball is just a lil wet on a rainy day. You need to be a bowler to understand what is happening out there in middle and understand the dynamics of a moving ball

Edited September 11, 2017 by mishra

[gattaca]

11 hours ago, Gollum said:

Will be ironic if we end his career in 2018 after what all he has done to us since his debut in Nagpur. 6-7 100s in India including that 3 ton series in 2012 and 294 in 2011. India has been his favorite punching bag over the years.

Left handers always love India chanders, jayasuriya, saaed anwar the list goes on.