The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Bopara leads Cook backing
Ravi Bopara leads support for Alastair Cook and insists he remains the best man for the England ODI cricket captaincy despite growing doubts.
A LA STA IR COOK has the support of his team-mates to stay on as England captain.
Ravi Bopara has voiced his confidence, and that of his England peers, that Cook remains the best man for the job despite the captain’s own growing doubts.
A glum-faced Cook revealed that he would consider stepping down from the captaincy after the one-day international series against A ustralia was meekly conceded with a seven-wicket loss in Sydney on Sunday.
A ustralia eased past England’s 243 for nine with 10 overs to spare to go 3-0 up in the five-game series.
Hot on the heels of the 5-0A shes whitewash, Cook failed to rule out calling time on his ODI captaincy or, most significantly, his Test tenure when he returns home after the final game of the ODI series in A delaide on Sunday.
Bopara was left shocked by Cook’s comments but, after speaking with a man he has grown up alongside since they were teenagers at Essex, he is certain his old friend has the will to remain.
“I think naturally A lastair would be down. We’ve lost three games out of three and that’s a natural reaction,” Bopara said.
“I am surprised (by his comments). I think he’s the right man for it.
“I haven’t spoken to him in detail but I would love for him to carry on in both formats.
“I do believe that your best player should be your captain and I still believe that he is our best player.
“Batting at the top of the order, he’s the type of guy that will go out and score hundreds for England, 100% the other players see it the same way.”
Cook was backed to remain as captain by the England and Wales Cricket Board during the fifth Test in Sydney and Bopara’s words indicate a united front from the players too.
That would come as a welcome boost to Cook, who Bopara concedes may have lost some confidence following a harrowing winter in which his captaincy has come under sustained criticism.
“He may have lost self-belief, a little bit, but speaking to him on Sunday, I strongly got the impression that he’s the right man for the job,” Bopara said.
“It’s just a tough time. He’s the sort of guy who will turn it around. “I think this is good for him and he will come out a much better person.”
Cook’s captaincy record before heading Down Under was impressive after he led England to a rare Test series success in India immediately after taking over the leadership 15 months ago.
An A shes win followed in the summer and, in the 50-over format, England went within a whisker of winning the Champions Trophy in June.
Cook’s personal record is even more
“He may have lost self-belief, a little bit, but speaking to him on Sunday, I strongly got the impression that he’s the right man for the job.”
Ravi Bopara
convincing and, despite his tough run in A ustralia, he has still brought up his 100th Test and become the youngest batsman to reach 8,000 runs while on tour.
“Let’s just remember he is one of our most experienced players. He’s got a lot of experience, he knows what he’s doing,” Bopara added.
“We go way back. What he has done in his career, for a young man, he’s done a lot.”
Bopara was able to report a softening in Cook’s mood the day after defeat as England made the 4½-hour flight to Perth for the fourth ODI on Friday.
A ustralia are set to rest four key names, including skipper Michael Clarke, at the WA CA in what looms as a golden opportunity to end England’s duck. “He’s in a good space,” Bopara said. “We had breakfast on Monday morning and he was in a great space. We were back to our normal jokey, laughing sort of way.
“That’s important moving forward, you need to be yourself and not let the game affect you and not get too emotional.”
In addition to Clarke’s absence in Perth, A ustralia will also rest A shes winners David Warner, Brad Haddin and Shane Watson.
George Bailey, who was named A ustralia’s ODI player of the year yesterday, is due to captain the team should he overcome a hamstring problem.
While A ustralia are set to be understrength, Bopara denied there would be any extra motivation to secure a win for their captain.
“It’s not just about A lastair, it’s about the rest of the team as well,” he said.
“We want to win because we’re here to win. We don’t just want to win to make someone feel better.
“We want to win because that’s what we’re paid to do. It’s important we go out and win the next two games, not just the next one.”