Root urges Alastair to go out in blaze of glory
JOE ROOT is hoping Alastair Cook can head off into international retirement with one last Test ton tucked under his belt.
The England skipper has also urged his team-mates to give the 33-year-old the perfect send-off with a win in the fifth Specsavers Test.
Cook started with a hundred in Nagpur in 2006 and goes in search of his 33rd at the Kia Oval today.
“I have seen one coming for a while, though you might not think it with the scores he has had in the last couple of weeks,” Root said.
“But it would be fitting for him to go out on a high personal note, not just as a team.
“Hopefully he can soak up everything else that comes with this week and go out and deliver on the field. It would be nice to start and finish with a century and you never know, it might be written in the stars.
“I am sad he is going and he’s going to be very hard to replace but it is up to us to give him an opportunity to go in the best way possible.
“Far from a distraction, it will act as a great motivator. It means a lot to the dressing room and they will be desperate to give him a great send-off.
“He’s always got time for everyone and that’s a great quality to have in any walk of life never mind a high-pressure environment like international cricket. I’ll miss him being around. Not just for his runs and what he adds to the team but as a person.”
React
Root also insisted the decision to hand the wicketkeeping gloves back to Jonny Bairstow was not the result of player power.
The Yorkshireman appeared to react badly when Jos Buttler was given the job for the last game, but the England skipper insisted he had got the role back to help manage the pair’s workload. “Jonny has had the gloves for a long time and done exceptionally well for a good period of that,” Root said.
“It is definitely not player power. I made it very clear if he’s going to be Test keeper he is going to have to keep working really hard. “But he deserves the opportunity to keep wicket in Test cricket and Jos has done exactly the same in white-ball cricket. “Why mess with something that has worked so well for so long?”
Keaton Jennings keeps his place and could even benefit from Cook’s decision to quit. “Keaton has a great opportunity this week to show everyone how good he is,” added Root. “The way he played in the second innings in the last Test was brilliant. Hopefully he can take confidence and really lay down a marker.”