Record in sight for Eoin
SIR ALASTAIR Cook believes England could hit the magic 500 mark at the World Cup this summer.
At yesterday’s launch of the tournament’s 100-day countdown, the ex-England captain feels Eoin Morgan’s one-day side could threaten their one-day record of 481-6, set against Australia at Trent Bridge last year.
“I’m not envious of the one-day team’s firepower now,” said Cook, who retired last summer. “I’m watching with pride. We’re setting the trends, pushing the boundaries and I’m watching the people I played with doing it.
“They have taken the limits out of one-day cricket with an attitude that ‘We can get 500’ – and I love it.”
Although Cook won a record 161 Test caps, he never played at a World Cup. In 2011, after stockpiling 766 runs on Ashes duty in Australia, he found himself surplus to requirements and England fell woefully short in Sri Lanka.
And four years ago, Cook was axed as ODI captain seven weeks before the event, with Morgan handed a hospital pass to preside over another blow-out.
Cook said: “I had my chance leading up to 2015, but I didn’t play very well and neither did the team. That was the real disappointment.
“I don’t think it was right to make such a big decision just before the World Cup, but I can understand why the selectors made that call.
“Maybe it was the best thing for the team in the long run that Eoin took over when he did, and the way he has taken that team forward has been great to watch.”