Cape Argus

Cook regrets fallout over controvers­ial KP firing

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ALASTAIR Cook bowed out yesterday as England captain admitting that the controvers­ial firing of Kevin Pietersen was handled badly.

The man who led England a record-breaking 59 times chose his final press conference as skipper at Lord’s to talk of his regret at the way the maverick superstar was jettisoned in the wake of the 5-0 Ashes thrashing of 2013-14.

“I do wish it had been done differentl­y,” said Cook, who is expected to be succeeded next week by Joe Root. “I was part of the group who made that decision and it was what we thought was best for English cricket.

But the fall-out was not very good... It wasn’t great for it to be all over the front and back pages and social media.

“Part of our responsibi­lity is to get cricket in the newspapers for the right reasons and for six months or so, it wasn’t. I think we all have regrets over the way it was handled, but when Andrew Strauss came on board and made the final decision (Pietersen) wasn’t coming back, it made it a little easier.’

It was apt that Cook’s farewell yesterday was an understate­d affair, in keeping with a man who has never been entirely comfortabl­e in the spotlight. There were no tears, as we saw with Michael Vaughan at Loughborou­gh in 2008, and no spontaneou­s ovation from the press, as signalled the end of Strauss in a big room at Lord’s four years later.

This time there was just a quiet, slightly self-conscious, but typically dignified exit in a cramped room in the Tavern Stand for a captain who has had extreme highs and lows.

Cook reflected on them all yesterday, mostly with a smile, as he pondered a captaincy stint that saw two Ashes wins and triumphs in India and South Africa, but also the sacking of Pietersen.

Throughout it all he has remained the same ordinary guy; one blessed with extraordin­ary mental strength that has made him one of England’s greatest batsmen and a captain highly respected by all he has led.

First there was his decision to go now after four-and-a-half often tumultuous years in the aftermath of a 4-0 defeat in India, but with his last great ambition of leading England in Australia again tantalisin­gly in reach.

“It was a tough decision but in one sense easier than I expected,” said a relaxed Cook. “The hard bit was giving it away and telling myself it was time to go, because it is such a brilliant job, but... I felt I was done.

“I’ve looked back a bit... and I’m quite proud of what I’ve achieved.

‘It’s sad but it’s a job you need 100 percent commitment to at all times and at the end of India, I felt I couldn’t do it any more. I might be able to give it 95 per cent but that’s not good enough.”

That new phase, he very much hopes, will be as a senior player in what remains an exciting England team, doing what he does best, adding to his extraordin­ary tally of more than 11 000 Test runs and 30 centuries. ‘I really hope I’m still here in four or five years because it would mean I’ve scored runs and England have done well,’ he said.

It was intriguing that Cook spoke with enthusiasm not just about his heir apparent Root but also three other key players. “Joe has been vice-captain for a couple of years so Straussy has clearly seen leadership potential in him,” said Cook.

‘He’s got a very good cricket brain and is part of the newer generation. He’s also a bloody good cricketer who commands respect in the changing room because of that. He’d be outstandin­g but I also think Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow come into considerat­ion, looking at the way they drive things.”

For Cook the highlight of his tenure was winning the Ashes in 2015 when nobody gave the team a chance. From a personal point of view it was the reception he got at Southampto­n against India in 2014. “... it was a very special moment that kept me in the job because it was clear the public wanted me to carry on.” That support was necessary, of course, because of the furore over the decision made by Cook, Andy Flower and Paul Downton to sack Pietersen, by then a fading, divisive presence. – Daily Mail

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