COOK: ROOT’S TEAM ON PACE FOR PLUNDER DOWN UNDER
ASHES legend Sir Alastair Cook says England have the high-speed artillery to give Aussie batsmen the hurry-up Down Under next winter.
Joe Root’s men launch their crusade to regain the urn in just 11 months, and his predecessor as England captain says express pace could be their trump card.
Cook’s phenomenal stockpile of 766 runs 10 years ago paved the way to claim the Ashes on Australian soil for the only time since 1986-87. It was also built on a formidable bowling unit who went on to make England No.1 in the Test charts.
And Cook believes Root has every reason to be optimistic if Mark Wood, Jofra Archer and Olly Stone are at full throttle.
“England look like they have a squad which looks
like it’s powerful enough to go and cause Australia some problems,” he said.
“They’ve options with the ball - two or three guys who can bowl 90mph. I think you need that option at times when the wicket gets flat with the Kookaburra ball. Then you have a batting line-up who started to score bigger runs over the last 12 to 18 months. They’re the things you need in Australia.
“You need to go massive in your first innings to set up the game and you need a bit of power in your bowling to be able to change tactics. Maybe for the first time in a couple of tours down there, England have those options.”