Cook’s history boys lifting off
ALASTAIR COOK insisted there is not a whiff of complacency among his players as they gathered at Heathrow last night for their fl ight to Australia.
Three successive Ashes victories, including a comprehensive 3- 0 success this summer, sees England head Down Under as strong favourites.
No England team have won four back- to- back Ashes series since the 19th century and the spur of becoming the History Boys is all Cook’s squad need.
“Complacency won’t be a factor,” said captain Cook, who had clearly being thumbing through his Wisdens.
“You talk about what it means to any of the players about getting on that plane. We have a chance to win four Ashes series in a row for the fi rst time since 1890 and everyone is excited by that.
“We have an opportunity to do that, we are desperate to do that.” The squad are due to arrive in Perth tomorrow, but will be without Kevin Pietersen, who instead will be heading for South Africa on compassionate leave after the death of a friend and will link up with England on Sunday.
Australia are very much a team in transition, but the task facing England should not be underestimated. Winning Down Under is still a huge achievement and Cook acknowledges he will have to make a better personal contribution than he did this summer, when Australia’s bowlers worked him out and restricted him to a series average of 27.
That compared starkly to his effort against Australia on the 2010- 11 tour, when he started the series with an unbeaten 235 at the Gabba and averaged 127. “It would be great to repeat some of those feats,” he said. “I enjoy those conditions where the ball can be fl ying around your ears, it’s a great test of skill.
“As captain you love to lead from the front. Last summer I didn’t convert my 40s and 50s. I could have done a lot better.”
Apart from Tim Bresnan, who is recovering from a stress fracture of the back, the biggest gamble by the selectors is to include Monty Panesar in the squad of 17.
Panesar, his marriage breaking up, had a troubled summer. He was sacked by Sussex and fi ned by police for urinating on bouncers at a Brighton nightclub.
He began his rehabilitation on a temporary contract with Essex and did enough to convince he is a reformed character.
“Clearly he has had a tough year or so,” said Cook. “But from what I hear at Essex, I certainly think he’s on the right path.”
And the Aussie crowds will not be slow to get on Panesar’s back as Cook acknowledged. He added: “Australia is a great place to play sport, as an Englishman you know it’s going to be hostile at times.”