Cook’s showdown talks with Boycott
SENSITIVES England cricket captain Alastair Cook had clear-the-air talks with his fiercest critic — Geoffrey Boycott — before leaving the C Caribbean, where his side drew the Test series w with West Indies 1-1.
After ECB chairman Colin Graves had described the opposition as ‘ mediocre’, Cook commented: ‘That’s a Yorkshireman for you — they’re quite happy to talk a good game.’
This prompted a rant from fellow Yorkie Boycott in his newspaper column, writing: ‘Every time Alastair Cook opens his mouth he sticks his foot in it. He’s so up himself, he thinks he’s untouchable as England captain and the only guy who can do the job. He is living in cloudcuckoo land about his captaincy ability.’
Cook, who was out for dinner last Tuesday with wife Alice and Jonathan and Abi Trott, found himself in the same Lone Star restaurant in Barbados as Boycott. It was Cook who a approached Boycott for a word.
The pair were seen in deep conversation by o other diners, one of whom reported that the body language when Boycott and Cook parted company didn’t suggest the talks had gone well. And certainly Boycott is the last person to back down about any opinion he has expressed.
Cook likes to thrash out differences with cricket p pundits. He had a long talk with Test Match Special’sS Jonathan Agnew in Antigua earlier on the West Indies tour and with Shane Warne last summer after the Aussie irritant called Cook’s captaincy the worst he had ever seen.
ANDREW STRAUSS, anointed England director of cricket, isn’t waiting for the ECB’s official announcement of his appointment next week to start clearing the decks for his new role. It’s understood Strauss (right) has already informed Sky Sports he will be ceasing his cricket pundit job — for which he was never suited. Sky have more than enough former England cricket captain analysts in any case. Other pundits are receiving offers to replace Strauss at media events being held throughout the Ashes. ENGLAND could start their Rugby World Cup campaign against Fiji at Twickenham using the away team dressing room and wearing a red alternative strip, despite being tournament hosts. Every World Cup game will involve the toss of a coin, with the winning Team A choosing their preferred changing room and kit.
England’s opponents on September 18 also play in white shirts.
The toss for all group fixtures has already been done and World Rugby will announce colours and dressing rooms later this month, when all Team As have made selections. England have still to launch their World Cup strips, with white the home colour and red expected for away. TV sport production companies Sunset + Vine and North One Television, best known for motor sport, are understood to be the two names on the shortlist to be producers of Channel Five’s highly ambitious peak-time Football League highlights show featuring the goals from all three divisions.