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Alistair Cook

10,000 Test runs at such a tender age. A truly remarkable achievement. I think the lad deserves his own thread as there are a lot of cricket fans on here. You have to take your hat off to him, ok he's no Gower or Lara, some would say he only has 4 shots! But what he does have is a stubbornness and resilience that only the top sportsmen have. I have criticised him and although I supported him through his bad times, and argued with one of my best mates on here about him to the extent that we almost fell out, even I in the end called for him to be dropped. But he proved us all wrong and he is fine cricketer, captain and man.
He's not the best ever England batsman, he'd agree that, but he's so effective and his craft and art is very rarely seen these days. His displacement as ODI captain has been wonderful for him.

Comments

  • Brilliant achievement. I've given him a little bit of stick in the past, but a fine fine cricketer you cannot deny.
  • edited May 2016
    Tremendous achievement especially given that he has had a few bad 'trots' in amongst those 10,000 runs.

    He reminds me in some ways of Boycott in that he is not the most naturally gifted at test level but has the powers of concentration, determination and perseverance to make the absolute most of the talent he does have.

    Ironic that Sir Geoffrey has been one of his sternest critics although he would argue that his criticism has related to captaincy rather than batting.
  • Cooks captaincy has improved immensely over the last few years, he's even shut up Shane Warne on the subject. I loved Boycott as a player, his captaincy however, left a lot to be desired.....
  • Top, top man when you think of the stick that he took a couple of years ago, to be where he is now is simply remarkable.

    Interesting to debate where he stands on the list of all time England great batsmen, he has the most runs, but is a better player than Hobbs, Hutton, Sutcliffe and Barrington etc.

    Impossible to say, but when you think that he is 31 and has never been injured, he has Tendulkars 16,000 well in his sights.
  • England's best batsman ever is Kent's David Ivon Gower. FACT. LOCKED ON. AND ANY OTHER TERM THAT YOU USE CAPS LOCK.
  • Bearing in mind we've hardly replaced strands, I doubt there is a queue to replace Cook. He'll play for a while yet. Good on him
  • There was never no doubts about his class as a batsman. Thankfully his captaincy has improved markedly under the influence of Trevor Bayliss.
  • Riviera said:

    Cooks captaincy has improved immensely over the last few years, he's even shut up Shane Warne on the subject. I loved Boycott as a player, his captaincy however, left a lot to be desired.....

    'Shut up Shane Warne'? If only!! That guy repeats himself incessantly. Great cricketer but boring (IMO)
  • Riviera said:

    England's best batsman ever is Kent's David Ivon Gower. FACT. LOCKED ON. AND ANY OTHER TERM THAT YOU USE CAPS LOCK.

    Gower was, without doubt, brilliant.

    I'm very pleased for Cook, however, to have reached this milestone. As well as scoring more runs and centuries than Gower. And with a higher batting average than Gower. And higher top score than Gower. And, although they're neck-and-neck in terms of wickets taken (one each), at least Cook can claim, unlike Gower, never to have been dropped. And, unlike Gower, never to have been sacked as Test captain.

    Congratulations, Cookie. 10,000 is a good start. Now, get your head down and go big.
  • Agree Chizz well said. Congratulations to Cook a great batsman and a greatly improved captain
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  • Terrific batsman and a very motivated and tough young(ish) man who retains the looks of a friendly vicar, a teenage prodigy who's made use of every gram of his ability and taken all his career chances.
    Personally, I still have a few doubts over his captaincy abilities.
  • Brilliant achievement. Yes, been critical of his captaincy, but as mentioned , has improved significantly the last couple of years.

    Whilst on the subject, lets also not forget Jimmy Anderson, 6th in all-time list of bowlers with 451 wickets - homing in on Courtney Walsh in 5th - maybe not quite on the same achievement scale as Cook, but not far off.
  • Anderson's achievement far greater IMO. Cook still a great player.
  • Great achievement. I've always backed Cook on here, especially during his weak spell.
  • Cook has been an amazing Test match player for England, and while his captaincy has been questioned in the past, his place in the team never has. The man who never sweats!

    Cook was unhappy to lose the ODI captaincy and place in that team, but that should have happened years earlier as his style of play is far too controlled for modern ODI play.

  • ...I wonder how he found time to do "Letter from America".
  • The highest scorers in Test cricket have not tended to be openers who have to face world class bowlers with a new ball. It's been easy to underestimate Cook's ability but the facts speak for themselves.
  • Riviera said:

    England's best batsman ever is Kent's David Ivon Gower. FACT. LOCKED ON. AND ANY OTHER TERM THAT YOU USE CAPS LOCK.

    A mate's village team I used to play for a couple of times a year when they were short desperate used to have a David Gower sticker on one if their ancient showers so it was known as "The David Gower Power Shower".
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