Alastair Cook admits England's 'world has changed' when it comes to off-field culture ahead of 150th Test cap
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Alastair Cook has admitted the 'world has changed' for the England team when it comes to their off-field activities, but has hailed their hard working ethos.
The former skipper should be celebrating his 150th Test cap this week amid a generous reflection on his incredible career, but instead he was the latest player fronting up to questions about culture and conduct.
The fallout from two visits to the same bar where there was a 'head-butt' greeting and a drink poured over James Anderson, were the sort of issues that he must have thought he had left behind when he gave up the captaincy earlier this year.
But as a senior statesman in the squad and a man for whom the entirety of English cricket has a huge amount of respect, his reaction to the circus that this Ashes tour has become was right on the money.
(Image: Getty Images AsiaPac)
“The world’s obviously changed for the England cricket team in September,” said Cook. “And it’s probably taken us a couple of months to really realise that.
“These last two incidents have probably proven that. I’ve seen the word trivial, a misdemeanour at best and a very low key thing but since obviously the Stokesy thing in September things have changed for the England cricket team.
“It’s sad in one sense because, a bit different to football, we’ve always been able to go under the radar a bit and enjoy playing cricket for England and also enjoy seeing the country outside of that.
“At the moment that’s changed but the one thing I will say about this England side, and it’s even changed since I was captain, but I’ve never seen a side work this hard.
(Image: PA)
(Image: Getty Images AsiaPac)
“Trevor Bayliss is cancelling practice sessions after three and a half, four hours. He’s saying ‘you’ve got to stop now, you’re wasting energy, you’ve got to save it for the Test match.
“That’s just people desperate to do well. So at the moment I don’t think we’re being painted fairly in the media on our culture but clearly there’s been a couple of things that have been brought up and it’s up to us to adjust to that quickly.
“We can’t afford any more mistakes because we understand the stakeholders, the ECB, sponsors and stuff are trying to encourage kids to play cricket and that’s what we want.”
Over the past 11 years the ECB couldn't have wished for a better role model than Cook, who has broken records, set high standards and carried himself immaculately on and off the field.
(Image: PA)
He has been tested time and again and come through the other side to score 31 Test hundreds and lead his team to two Ashes victories as well as away series wins against India and South Africa.
It hasn't always been rosy, such as during the Kevin Pietersen saga and when he was axed as one day captain on the eve of a World Cup, but English cricket has enjoyed huge swathes of success over the past decade and he's had plenty to do with it.
Clearly now closer to the end than the beginning, several pundits including KP are wondering whether this will be his last series, but the 32-year-old insisted he is not planning on walking away yet.
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He added: “The people who are saying that have had no contact time with me, they wouldn’t know the extra nets I’ve been doing behind closed doors. That’s probably not a guy who’s given in.
“It’s obviously a very special moment in terms of a personal milestone. Not many people play 150 Test matches so to do that and do it at the top of the order, I’m quite proud of that.
“It is a very special thing to pull on that hat. It’s a special thing to walk out and play for England, and that’s why I love doing it.