Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
World-class Cookie will bounce back and STILL has big role for England
I’VE read a lot of rubbish this week.
Some of the statements about Alastair Cook’s future have amazed me.
People are asking whether the highest run-scorer in English Test history should give it up – but I think that’s absolute garbage.
Cookie is still world-class. I’m not one for stats, but his speak for themselves and for people to be calling for him to make way after three poor Tests just beggars belief.
He’s one of the most mentally strong sportsmen that you’ll ever see.
He had that horror stretch as a captain and a batsman when things weren’t going for him, but he came back and proved a hell of a lot of people wrong.
He will do the same again. That’s a very good Aussie attack and there are going to be times when you’ll struggle to score runs against the very best, but any call for him to walk away is just ludicrous.
The basic fact is that we can’t afford for him to not open the batting.
We’ve spent so long looking for someone to come in and play alongside him and now it looks like we’ve finally found someone in Mark Stoneman.
For us to now wish Cook away is ridiculous. We’d be back to square one.
There have been times when James Vince (above) must have felt a similar feeling, but there are real signs that he’s starting to develop into a very good Test match No.3.
It does look so effortless when he’s batting well. I used to watch him play when he was at Hampshire and I would think then, “This boy is going places”.
He can frustrate at times, but I just think, as he matures and his confidence grows at Test level, we’ll see him becoming far more consistent.
That wonderful cover-drive he plays is the one he gets out to, but it’s a learning curve for him and he’s batting against the best bowling attack in the world.
He’s going to have to adapt, but I think he’s doing that.
All the new boys have done well and I think there’s a real sense of relief from England supporters that we’re finally finding people who can come in and score runs and, in the case of Jamie Overton, take wickets too.
The only shame for Vince, Overton, Stoneman and Dawid Malan – who has been sensational – is that the Ashes have already gone.
In Melbourne, the boys will just be playing for pride and there’s no worse feeling.
That said, if they need any motivation they only have to look at the thousands of Brits arriving at the MCG. They have to put everything that has happened to the back of their minds and do it for those supporters.
It’s not going to be easy, though, because the Aussies have outplayed us. I looked at their squad before the start of the series and I didn’t think much of it.
I knew their bowling would be dangerous, but I didn’t see many runs in that line-up. They’ve proved us wrong.
If we can come back and win the last two Tests then, all of sudden, things aren’t going to look so bad.
It’s my birthday on Christmas Day and seeing us get some revenge at the MCG would be a money-can’t-buy gift.